City of the Walking Dead: Season 2
by iMachine
Summary: When a family flees their home in New York City after it becomes overrun with the dead, a newly made acquaintance takes them to Canada in hopes of finding safety. But does such a concept still exist? In the midst of surviving, the world governed by the dead will test their potential by putting every single one of them through painstaking trials.
1. Episode 1 - North

**(Update: 3/6/2019 - This chapter has been revamped)**

 **(Tips: Read in dark font with any instrumental soundtrack you see fit.)**

 **(Trigger warning: This season will have themes of abuse in multiple chapters.)**

* * *

It seemed like Dora's plans aligned with Arne's desire to be reunited with his son, but her true priority was getting her family as far away from New York City by whatever means necessary. From what could be heard on the radio, New York City was already under siege with thousands of reanimated and counting—in just a matter of days. The state was now considered a red zone, and anyone lucky enough to make it through NYC alive deserved to be awarded notoriety. The drive was a long one. What started off as a labyrinth through augmented traffic eventually smoothed out into an easy drive on the freeway. Arne drove all the way until sunup, whereas Ada happily took over for Carlos since his last few days in New York City granted him with no sleep; just worries. She was unlicensed but was a fairly good driver for someone with not much experience. Her only flaw was slamming the brakes too hard and causing the minivan to jerk abruptly. While cruising behind Arne's lead, she could see the United States border swipe right past them on the opposite side of the freeway, but once Arne came to a steady stop at the Canadian border, Ada had no choice but to do the same—it just wasn't steady. The tires screeched.

Slightly reclined, Carlos jumped up from his snooze.

Ada delivered a light tap to his thigh,

"Are you awake?"

"What do you expect when you slam the brakes like that?" He yawned.

"They stopped," she informed, ignoring his comment.

Carlos peered through one opened eye and looked towards the skies, surprised that the sun had already risen. He glanced at the digital clock,

"7:07 AM?" He read aloud.

Parked at a good distance from Arne's truck, Ada exited the minivan and made sure to take the car keys with her. Just as she was approaching them, Arne and Dora exited the car. Arne announced that they had run into an obvious problem. From what it appeared, every lane at the Canadian border had been obstructed by a build-up of cars. Slightly side-tracked, Dora walked around to the driver's side and rested her palms on Ada's bare shoulders,

"Why don't you put something warm on, Adaline?"

"With what mom?" Ada asked, obviously annoyed by her mom's random overbearing parenting.

"Doesn't Carlos have a sweatshirt he can give you?"

Ada scoffed and brought her attention back to Arne, who also somewhat had a look of disbelief on his face as well. Now wasn't the time to be worrying about Ada getting chilly. Ada walked a little past him and rested her palm on the warm hood of his military Humvee. As soft breezes blew through her hair, she looked around and noticed that one of the lanes on the far right had the least line of cars; two actually. Taking initiative, Ada cautiously wandered off. Dora immediately became concerned as her daughter walked off to examine the cars. Calling her daughter's name a couple of times, she wanted nothing more than to inquire what her motives were. Purposely ignoring her, Ada carefully made her way through other stalled vehicles and approached the cars she had her sights set on. The closer she got, the clearer a faint beeping sound became. She tucked her hair behind her ears, slightly peering in through the rear windows of the last, parked car in the said lane. Gazing through, she noticed nothing but an empty booster seat and some used bottles of water. Deciding to move on the next car parked in front, she realized that the driver's door was left slightly open, officially making it the source of the beeping. Haven't walked beside it yet, a familiar smell was still capable of abusing Ada's sense of smell. Reassuming the same safety stance as before, Ada gazed in from behind the car. From what she could observe, she saw a head full of long, dark hair in the passenger's seat. She stood straight and took a deep breath, finally looking back over at her mother and Arne who was watching her with closeness, but from a distance that only made the top of Ada's body somewhat visible.

"Why'd she stop?" Dora whispered as she panicked.

"Don't know," Arne answered unsurely, keeping his eyes pinned on Ada.

Ada swallowed, bracing herself for what possibly could ensue. She crept towards the driver's side and examined through the window at a safe distance, noticing small signs such as the maximum pull of the seat belt and a shoe left behind. What could it mean? Signs of struggle? She wasn't sure. As she got closer and opened the door, she was still surprised by the sight of the dark-haired figure, especially by the screwdriver driven in her left eye. She was buckled in and it was obvious that had been reanimated before her second life was ended. She was eerily frozen in a position where her pale head was tilted upward at the sunroof of the battered car. Around her lips had marks of blood, indicating that she gave a bite before it was greeted by its demise. The young New Yorker's eyes wandered around the car, making her give a double-take at the keys still in the ignition. Giving a couple of steady breaths, she slowly reached in for it while keeping her eye on the dead woman at all costs.

"What are you doing, Ada?" She heard Dora ask, raising her voice to a non-alarming volume.

Unable to avoid breathing heavily, Ada safely removed the jingling key from the ignition. Barely holding it with just two fingers, it was easier than she thought. While the upper-half of her body was still inside of the car, she turned back to reply,

"There's keys in here!"

"Keys?" She heard Arne repeat.

No more than a second after what sounded like gurgled snarls, the dark-haired reanimated reached forward and grabbed Ada's wrist. Ada began to scream, shrieking and shaking wildly as the reanimated tightly held on to her. Being in the position that she was in, made it a lot harder for Ada to fight back. Arne immediately took off with Dora following after him. The soldier ran a lot quicker than she did but the determination had no comparison. Just as he decided to squeeze through two stable vehicles, a reanimated with a missing shoe popped out from behind a truck. Arne, taken by surprise quickly moved to the side and took a misstep. He tripped and fell to the pavement as the reanimated stumbled and dove right on top of him. Arne immediately placed his arm up and caught the reanimated at a position where he could keep it at a safe distance from his face. Being only recently infected, the reanimated still possessed much strength. Arne yelled and grunted, struggling as the heavyset reanimated snapped and gnashed at his nose. From where he was pinned, he saw Dora arm herself with a blade and swoop in from behind. She raised the reanimated's head by lifting the back of its collar like a noose around the throat. Just like last time, her arm teetered up and down multiple times. From the observation of others, it might be easy, but it took a lot of you and out of you to kill a walking corpse, even if they were no longer human. There was something extremely unsettling about it. Even destroying the soulless had capabilities of deforming your own.

"Dora!" Arne yelled.

Finally, she granted the first and final stab at the base of its neck. With the intention of cutting off the brainstem, the reanimated dropped lifelessly. Arne looked up at Dora, stunned as she released the reanimated and quickly moved on to save her daughter next. He was prompted to push the empty shell off of him and follow after her.

Still trapped in the car, Ada continuously yelled, fearful of the woman's witch-like face and pastel eyes. She wanted to yank her arm away but something in her mind made her theorize that a potential scratch or scrape resulted in something just as bad as a bite. Although Ada was still scared shitless, her screams became reserved, seeing that screaming had no part in helping. Her eyes engaged with the situated screwdriver once again. She reached up to grab it but her error was moving too gently. The reanimated snapped at her, almost taking a good chomp of her fingers. She instantly started shrieking again and jumped back, only to be reminded that she was being leashed at the wrist. Preparing herself by taking rapid breaths, she lifted her hand and screamed while thrusting her palm forward at the bum of the embedded tool. As the screwdriver impaled further into reanimated's eye, Ada could feel it puncture the massive organ in its head and tap the surface inside its skull. The hold on her wrist loosened but remained closed. Carefully, Ada loosened each digit at a time and backed out of the car as Dora closed in behind her,

"You okay?" Arne asked, quickly catching up.

"Yeah…" Ada nodded, unable to look them in the eye. She caught her breath, "I'm fine."

Dora checked her skin for marks. She reassured that she was unharmed for the last time, not wanting her embarrassing situation to hold them up any longer. Sure, she was afraid but she had to put that aside for the group as a whole. Dora wasn't ready to let it go just as yet but had no choice due to her daughter's passiveness. Ultimately, Ada went right back into devising a plan. Even Arne was left a little stunned, believing that, despite it not happening to him, he still needed to some time to process what happened. Since they now obtained the keys to the first vehicle, someone had to remove it by driving it through the toll. Ada theorized that since Arne's truck was most durable, he could use his humvee to push the final car—vehicle 2—from behind,

"I'll just hotwire it," Arne suggested.

Ada suspiciously looked at him for a couple of seconds before responding,

"You know how to hotwire a car?" She asked, somewhat impressed although it was wasn't something to admire.

"They teach that in the military?" Dora confirmed through a question.

"Uh, let's just say I wasn't the kinda kid like Ada or Jolyn when I was teen," he glanced away, "Usually, a lot of people who join the military are people with not-so-great pasts.'

Dora and Ada realized they may have stumbled onto thin ice. Like mother, like daughter, they essentially gave the same reaction and swept it under the rug. Both understood that it wasn't something he was prepared to open up about just yet. Suddenly, Ada passed him the keys without warning and walked past him and wrapped her arm within her mother's,

"Have fun," she wished.

"Wait," Arne caught it with unpreparedness, "What about the dead lady in the seat? We gotta move it, don't we?" Arne asked, indirectly requesting a helping hand.

"Isn't that a man's job?" Dora teased.

"I'm gonna let that one slide. Only because you saved me…" Arne ingenuously smirked back.

Honestly, she just didn't want to get her hands on other reanimated and she'd be damned if she were going to let her daughter go near that hellish thing again. They both turned away and Dora pulled Ada closely, obviously proud of her daughter's quick wit and wellbeing. Bouncing shoulders as they walked, she ran her hand along the surface of her daughter's hair before giving her a smooch on the cheek,

"I'm so glad, you're okay," she happily expressed.

They both walked towards Arne's truck. Walking on the passenger's side, they passed by the backseat windows and momentarily looked at Emberly, sleeping on Jolyn's shoulder. Jolyn still had on his hospital gown with the addition of his jeans. He was looking out of the other window, looking the most miserable and astray his family had ever seen him. His eyes were red with engraved bags that nearly touched the corners of his lips. It wasn't apparent but the women in his family were becoming extremely worried. Ada pulled her mother further away from the car to talk privately with her. She crossed her arms to maintain a little warmth,

"Looks like he just woke up. Do we tell him what just happened...?" Ada asked.

"No. It's better he doesn't know that right now."

"Did he...did he say anything in the car?"

"No..." Dora answered.

Ada exhaled, almost as if she were going to have a nervous breakdown,

"Mom, he's been like this for almost week now..."

"Look," Dora calmly rested her hand on Ada's shoulder, "This is a lot for all of us to take in, okay? And we're all experiencing and going through it differently. All he needs is some space and for us to be there for him."

Suddenly, Arne interrupted as if he had been overhearing what they were saying. Arne walked in from behind, already having moved car 1. All that was left was some tools to hotwire the second car and they'd be on their merry way to Montreal. Luckily, Carlos' car was passed down from his father, who was formerly a maintenance man. Snoring, Carlos was startled awake once again, but by three hard knocks on his window. He looked over, unlocked the door and comfortably resting his eyes once again. Ada opened the door herself, having already chosen to keep her predicament a secret. She wanted to avoid any type of widespread worry and from the looks of it, it seemed to be working in her favor. Things were going smoothly so far.

"Hey, is it cool if we use your dad's toolbox to hotwire a car?" Ada pointed back at the navy vehicle.

Carlos mumbled some inarticulate sounds and performed some meaningless hand motions. Hesitantly, she closed the door, hoping that it was some type of permission. She circled the minivan and retrieved the relatively weighty toolbox and held it with both hands. She delivered it to Arne, who later clarified that all he needed was a hammer and screwdriver.

Unable to get into the locked car, Arne had to force his way in by breaking the window with his elbow, giving it two mighty blows. As the glass shattered, everyone naturally looked around, hoping that it didn't alarm anything in the area. Figuring that it would come in handy during a time like this, Ada sat in the passenger's seat and examined Arne's hotwiring skills. Steps included injecting a screwdriver into the ignition to start the system, taking the steering wheel apart, and cutting & cross-connecting wires to start up the motor. Once the motor finally commenced, Arne reversed the car into a no-driving lane on the freeway, ultimately clearing the path. Meanwhile, everyone else slept, Dora, Ada, and Arne were elated that they managed to work together and remove the vehicles. Now, all that was left for Ada to do was to return Mr. Sanchez's toolbox and hit the road once again. Casually walking back to the minivan, she returned the toolbox in its proper place and slammed the trunk shut. Not even taking two steps to the driver's side, a random figure sprang out from behind and pointed a gun against Ada's head. She squealed,

"Shut up," the strange voice whispered sharply, "Shut up or I'll splatter your brains all over this back of this car."

Carlos, who was slightly disturbed by the slamming of the trunk, looked up in at the rearview mirror and instantly climbed out of the car. Once he realized that the stranger was armed, he raised his hands into the air. The armed stranger and Ada were now on the passenger's side, in the open for everyone to see. Dora, who had just comfortably climbed back into the truck with Arne looked through her side mirror and also witnessed the altercation,

"Shit!" she swore.

Just as he was preparing to drive off, Arne watched her frantically unfasten her seat belt,

"What? You forgot something?"

"It's Ada!"

Once Dora exited the Humvee, Arne looked through the rear-view mirror and was caught by total surprise. He grabbed his M4 carbine resting beside his left leg and also exited the vehicle. Attempting to sneak around. The stranger grabbed a handful of Ada's hair, rotated his wrist and tugged it. She winced, having a faint gasp escape her lips,

"Uh-uh-uh! I see you!" the gunman said, referring to Arne. He gripped her hair tighter, "Put your gun down and place it on the ground where I can see it!" He hissed.

Arne walked out into the open with his firearm pointed. But all it took was a pled from Dora's eyes for him to obey. He presented it with opened palms and slowly rested the assault rifle on the pavement. With her daughter being in harm's way for the second time today, Dora stopped walking, afraid that another step would be all it took for him to pull the trigger. She reached out with her palm,

"Please, let her go," Dora begged.

"What do you want?" Carlos asked, standing within the closest range.

"The car. No one has to die. Just give me the keys to the car. I'll drive away and we can pretend this never happened."

"Give him the keys, Ada," Carlos said.

"Let go of my hair," Ada panted, with tears running out of the corners of her eyes.

"I don't really think you're in a position to give orders!" The gunman said into her ear.

His morning breath sent tingling chills down her spine. However, Ada listened. She slowly unclenched her fist, having the keys fall to the ground. Telling her not to move, the gunman had no choice but to free his hand to quickly grab the keys. He stood back up and pressed the gun against her back,

"Do you have anything on you?" The man began to inappropriately frisk Ada, touching parts of her body that not even Carlos was allowed to touch without consent, "Cute girl," he snickered as he regained his composure, keeping his eyes on her.

Dora fell sick to her stomach, wanting more than anything to have her daughter in her arms. As the stranger studied her figure from behind, it was apparent on Ada's face that she had reached a breaking point. Carlos shook his head, recognizing a look that consisted of folding her lips inward,

"Don't, Ada…" he muttered.

"What'd you say?!" The gunman shouted at Carlos. He walked closer to Ada, pressing the gun against her back once again, "Shut the f—"

Ada looked over Carlos' shoulder, seeing her mother a couple of feet behind him. Examining her mother's body language, Dora repeatedly patted her right thigh with her right palm. As hectically as she did it, Ada felt that it was a cryptic message with the intention to save her life. Being that her arms were already spread out from her initial surrender, Ada swiftly rotated her body to the left and swiftly used the back of left forearm to forcefully shove the gunman's wielding arm to the side. Now facing his direction, she immediately rushed forward, hurling her right elbow in his face. It left him dazed. She locked his arm along her chest. And while having seize of his arm, She heavily kneed him in the groin, which caused him to further bend over; thus allowing her to snatch the gun by the barrel. Just for perks, she kneed him once again in the chest in hopes of injuring him further. As he inched away in pain, Ada powerfully swung her right arm back, cracking him across the face with the grip of the obtained handgun. He faltered to the side and crashed to the ground. Finally seeing him face to face, he looked like a very unappealing creep with the addition of a bruised face. He had graying hairs, thick round glasses, and a receded hairline. Of course, he wore a trench coat to match.

Carlos prepared to follow up with a bunch of blows next, but he was restrained by Ada, who was struggling to hold his powerful rages back. Quickly, Dora and Arne jumped in to assist. Ada objected, telling him to leave him for the dead.

If he hadn't counted his blessings before, now was the time. The man was luckily given the chance to recover and escape. Immediately, he got up and began dashing towards the opposite direction as quickly as he could. As he ran, reanimated began to pop out from behind the stalled vehicles, seconds away from grabbing hold of him. Being released into the modern wild was a far better punishment than being dealt with right then and there.

"I'll kill you!" Carlos roared after him, shaking in anger as he yelled, "YOU HEAR ME?!"

Ada rested her palm on his chest, attempting to calm him down since he was prepared to run all the way back to Vermont for her. Dora ran in from the side, thanking God and hugging her daughter. Although things could have taken a turn for the worst, she was relieved that she had enough prowess as a fighter to stop it from ever getting to that point. Never having used a gun before, Ada held in her palm. Looking back at the three pairs of eyes, she searched them all for an answer. Finally, Dora looked over at Arne, who seemed to be the most capable of dealing with firearms.

"Why don't you take it?" Ada asked her mother.

"I'm not ready for that yet," Dora admitted, shaking her head.

The unfavorable reaction to the gun was telling, yet understandable. So Arne took the gun and studied it. As much as he could grasp that city-folk weren't more than tech-savvy, he couldn't promise them that they'd never have to touch a gun again. Both Dora and Arne turned away and walked back to the truck. After Ada and Carlos climbed back into their own van, Dora turned and looked into the backseat—Emberly was wide awake with her head buried in her thermal top, having tears stream down her face. Dora knew that she had just seen everything, and she felt ashamed of that. She empathized with her, knowing that anyone would become fearful for a family member in that situation. But overall, Dora's main worry was that Emberly was also no longer safe. Without the skills that the others possessed, what could it mean for her? As the truck began moving, she faced forward and closed her eyes, mumbling another prayer.

* * *

As much as they didn't want to believe it, the infection has crossed over into the borders of Canada as well. This was especially frightening to Dora because she was now concerned on the state of her home island which, at first, seemed to be uncontaminated. Remembering there weren't many signs of the infection the moment it showed up in America, she was afraid that it might have changed since then. The reception for mobile phones had failed, therefore making it impossible to contact anyone in America, much less overseas. Dora grew immensely anxious because of this, not ever thinking that she would want nothing more but to hear the healing voices of her siblings, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and two of her oldest offspring.

Following Arne's lead, the unofficial group finally made it into Montreal where, unlike New York City, it was sparsely populated. It was catastrophic nonetheless but there was a slight difference in the atmosphere. Montreal was a city but overall felt a lot less suffocated. The landscape was far more visible compared to the metropolitans in New York City. The only thing on a similar level was the infrastructure. The roads, however, weren't much competition, having plenty of potholes that nearly caused tore apart the bottom of a vehicle. The most notable landmark in Montreal was the Jacques Cartier Bridge, which carried them all into the city of Montreal. After a twenty-minute drive, Arne turned into an appealing suburb he claimed his son and ex-wife lived in. From the looks of it, there was no trace of military and the neighborhood was seemingly absent of civilians-there was a lack of vibrancy and everything felt bleak. Arne pulled up in front of a nice home that resembled many of the beautiful architected homes in the upper-class neighborhood. In the midst of fawning over the prosperous community, Dora was surprised to see Arne leave the vehicle so suddenly without warning. Once he realized that his ex-wife's home entrance had been left wide open, he insensibly pushed past the door and began searching every room on the first level. The bedrooms came afterward. He pushed on Hunter's bedroom door, accidentally knocking his head into it after a sudden mass from behind blocked it from opening all the way. Using all of his strength, Arne forced the door to open further and squirmed his way through, spotting a dresser on the other side. He was presented with flashy posters of superheroes and feature films, alluring electronics, and scattered action figures all over the carpet. Looking over, Arne saw a covered figure on the mattress.

"Hunter?!" Arne gasped, running to pull off the covers, "Hunter, it's daddy!"

As he yanked the comforter to the floor, he was surprised by a scruffy looking gentleman with a stained beige overcoat and torn khakis, who looked more perplexed than he did. Arne became momentarily stunned and the first thing he decided to do was unhinge. He aggressively hauled the squatter who was settled in his son's bedroom. Arne grabbed him by the coat and violently drew him from the bed and pinned him up against the wall, knocking over a fragile lamp and other items over,

"Where's my son!?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about…" the man trembled.

"THE FAMILY THAT LIVED HERE, WHERE ARE THEY?!" Arne roared before lifting his fist.

"Arne!" A voice grabbed his attention.

Arne looked over at the doorway, partially making out Dora behind the door. Arne returned his tormented gaze back at the stranger and released him, allowing him to land back on his feet. He took a couple of steps back in a state of mental and physical enervation.

"Get out of here or I'll kill you…" Arne mumbled before shoving the dresser out of the way.

The squatter squeezed through the door, more than positive that Arne would absolutely keep his promise if he got the chance. Surprisingly, no reanimated managed to make their way into the said home of Arne's ex-wife. After Arne's confrontation with the intruder, he was encouraged by the Chadwell family to offer the strange man a place to stay because he'd only be setting him up with his fate. Jolyn and Emberly didn't have much of a say but the rest of the party defended the stranger, claiming that they too would've done the same thing if they were in his shoes. It took loads of convincing but Arne bogusly submitted to the tiring request of his new acquaintances. But due to wanting to maintain their safety and due to the indirect animosity towards the stranger, the nameless man was allowed to get comfortable in the house's upstairs bathroom. But just for that night only—anywhere else was off-limits.

It had been nearly a day since anyone had last gotten rest. Since the electricity was also out in Canada also, Arne managed to find some candles in the attic. He lit them all over the house with the participation of Dora, who loved candles and sure as hell got a kick out of exploring the fancy house. Eventually, everyone converged and planned to rest in the living room. No matter how tired others claimed to be, the faintest of sound from outside was enough to startle them awake.

Arne's mentality as a father and soldier just wouldn't allow him to get a decent night's rest. He opened his eyes for the seventh time that night, feeling that he could serve himself and the rest as a useful overseer. He sat up from the rocking chair and looked around the room, noticing something a little off about his surroundings. But quite unable to put his finger on it, Arne cautiously moved on. Having removed most of his army attire, he walked around in a green t-shirt. He got up and took a stroll around the house to clear his mind and possibly reminisce about the times he used to visit his son. As he walked into the kitchen, Arne heard some strange sounds coming from the next room over. It was probably the squatter and Arne would be unhappy about that. He tromped into the next room over—the dining room from what he could remember. The large room was barely lit by the sole candle that was placed at the edge of the dinner table. As Arne walked in, he saw a short silhouette looking through one of the windows in the room. Frightened by his intruding stomps, the figure jumped and let out a high-pitched gasp. They turned around, pressing their back against the window, feeling ambushed by Arne's shadow alone.

"Mr. Rogers?" Emberly made sure.

"Oh. Hi," Arne responded calmly, hopefully, to mellow himself and Emberly. He looked around, trying to act as if the situation wasn't already creepy enough, "What are you doing up so late?"

Emberly fiddled with her fingers before answering. It was dark, so she couldn't be seen crying. She raised her arm and dried her cheeks with her sleeves,

"I couldn't sleep," Emberly confessed.

Her stomach growled afterward, thinking that maybe hunger could change the outcome of this situation. Arne went ahead and searched the kitchen and it looked as though his ex-wife had gone shopping for a couple of items before she had fled the place. There was fresh milk and unopened cartons of juice. He poured Emberly a cold bowl of Cheerios and decided it would be best to accompany her for a late night snack. He gave her a pretty, pale blue colored bowl that was drastically smaller than his own. Immediately, they both dived into it. Emberly thanked him. As she sat at the end, Arne sat close to her. It became awfully quiet between the two of them, hearing nothing but the clinking of their spoons, soft chews, and swallows. Neither one of them could be blamed though, a fascinating discussion between a middle school student and a military soldier was revolutionary but ultimately far-fetched. Arne understood that Emberly was only a child and that meanwhile this entire anomaly was having an effect on both of them, it was undoubtedly more frustrating and rigorous for her. Although they might not have been able to identify with one another, Arne came to a realization that he had made a crucial decision when running away with this family. And as harsh as it sounded, he was stuck with Emberly. He thought logically and eventually came to the conclusion that he should treat Emberly no different than he would his own son. The first step was just getting to know her,

"How old are you, Emberly?" Arne asked, putting a spoonful of Cheerios in his mouth.

"Eleven," she answered.

By the tone of her voice, it was evident she was uncomfortable for various reasons. She could barely lift her eyes from her bowl. As saddening as it was seeing her in such a depressed state, Arne could understand. He planned to avoid questions that would make her think too much of her personal life before all of this happened,

"Why were you looking out that window?" Arne asked, trying to make conversation.

Emberly looked over, staring directly at the window to her right. As Arne's gaze followed, he noticed four reanimated aimlessly wandering around the backyard of the home. Just then, one tripped over something and laid in the grass a couple of minutes before attempting to get up. It was vastly intriguing, considering how the adult and child stared at the corpse like an ongoing experiment,

"Why are they like that? What happened to them?" Emberly finally asking something open-ended.

"I wish I knew."

"They freak me out. Back in New York, one tried to attack me...and..." she began admitting as her voice cracked. She remembered Aunt Joy and the neighbor who helped her back in New York City. She frowned and looked into her lap, not wanting to be seen crying in front of a total stranger.

Arne swallowed. As much as he kept telling himself that he was being reminded of his son, it was something far deeper than that. He blinked repeatedly, trying to hold back tears of his own,

"There's nothing wrong with being afraid," He supported, having her briefly look up at him. He felt a lot of pressure, having never felt this emotional for a child he barely knew. He swallowed, "They scare me too."

"Really?" Emberly sniffed.

She was surprised that a man of Arne's profession was capable of that. He seemed so fearless and always remained level-headed.

"Yes," Arne simply put, "But we're smarter than them. We move faster, climb higher, and can be stronger. They—" Arne pointed at the window, "They _can't_."

"Not until they bite you..." Emberly added pessimistically.

It was one of those moments where it left you lacking with a proper response,

"They won't. Not if you let them," he thought quickly.

Arne's words may not have had a deep enough meaning to Emberly but it was something to take with her wherever she went. She continued to eat the rest of her cereal. Considering that Arne had already finished a bowl that was twice her bowl's size, she revealed that she was also a _very_ slow eater. It was strange to admit, but speaking with Emberly had done more alleviating for him than it did for her. Maybe it had to do with his background, having dedicated his life to inspire and protect people, including the youth. Finally, once Emberly had finished her food, she sat at the table shaking her leg impatiently throughout the rest of their untensed conversation. As it turned out, Emberly had to use the restroom. Arne knew his boundaries and believed that it wasn't his place, so he recommended that she wake up one of the women for assistance. Although she already planned to, Emberly did exactly that and woke up Dora. Dora got herself together, wanting to use the lavatory as well. Being easily shaken by the shuffling, Ada woke up and decided to join them. Emberly led them through the kitchen where Arne was washing their bowls,

"Hey, Arne," Dora greeted, "Where's your bathroom?"

Arne quickly finished up and retrieved a key from one of the cabinets in the house. He led Dora and the girls into a hallway that led to a closed door. Thinking that it would reveal a bathroom it revealed stairs instead-stairs that descended into a dark basement. Standing behind Dora, Emberly peered from behind in absolute silence,

"There are two other doors down there. The _black_ door is the boiler room and the other is the bathroom," Arne explained.

Arne handed Dora a flashlight and even though they were all hesitant to go down, he reminded that aside from the house being empty from the moment they stepped in, the basement door remained locked at all times—so it was impossible for anything to be in the basement. Better safe than sorry, she equipped herself with Jolyn's knife and carefully walked down. As she beamed the light around the pitch darkness, she noticed a leather couch, a foosball table, a pool table, and a small bar. It was essentially a game room. _Damn, how rich were these people?_ Was all Dora could think whenever she stumbled into a new room.

Ada watched her mother from atop of the stairs, seeing her point the light around various places from where she stood,

"See anything?" Arne precautioned.

"It looks clear..." Dora tried to look behind places she missed, "Sounds clear too. Alright, you guys can come down."

Emberly nervously looked up at Arne as he held the door open. She took a couple of steps forward but found it nearly impossible to go any further. She heard Aunt Dora speaking but her drifting mind couldn't make out the words. The more she stared, she envisioned a body suddenly appearing at the bottom. It snarled with its head dislodged to the side. As dark as it was, the figure was clearly her Aunt Joy. Emberly stumbled backward and hooted once Ada grabbed her shoulders. She resistively shoved herself away, backing up until everyone was in her sights,

"Emberly…?" Ada crept forward.

"I don't wanna go."

"What's wrong?" Dora hollered, aiming the flashlight up the stairs,

Arne studied Emberly's odd behavior and looked back at Dora,

"One minute," he tossed back down to her.

Emberly staunchly crossed her arms,

"I just don't want to go down there. I don't want to go into the basement!"

It took nothing more for Ada to understand the source of Emberly's fear. Hearing her, she repressed her initial reaction,

"Just come on down, there's nothing down here!" Dora tried to encourage.

"I can hold it! I'll hold it instead!"

"Child! Just get down here," Dora said, slightly irritated by her nieces whining.

Back home, Emberly could act spoiled at times thanks to Michael's babying, but this wasn't that. Dore was simply misinterpreting it.

"Mom," Ada growled lowly. She turned and glared at her, "It's fine. You go ahead and use the bathroom. I'll take care of her."

Arne awkwardly stood silently in the middle of their quarrel as Ada elegantly defended her cousin, clearly knowing something that neither he and Dora didn't. While Dora continued, Ada looked up at Arne and asked if there was another bathroom.

"It's upstairs. But that...bum is sleeping in there."

Ada gave a deadpan look,

"Arne, this house is bigger than half the houses on our block. I know there's more than two bathrooms."

Arne eventually gave in and revealed that there were bathrooms in both his ex-wife's and son's bedroom. It was easier for Emberly to remember, so she led Ada to Hunter's room and decided to take care of business there. As the girls walked off, Arne looked back down at Dora, who hadn't moved an inche.

"Can you come down here?" Dora sighed, "I didn't mean to start any type of fuss, I just didn't want to be down here alone."

* * *

Everyone was wide awake the following evening, having all gotten a decent night's rest. To start the day off, they all served themselves some healthy bowls of cereal. Cheerios, Honey Nut Chex, or Froot Loops with cold milk. Being the desperate father that he was, the last thing on Arne's generous mind was the limitation of food. Every seat at the table was filled, just as the room was with chatter. Dora looked around the table, thinking that a time like this was impossible to ever have. She looked over at Jolyn, who became an onlooker at the dinner table,

"Are you enjoying your food?" Dora purposely asked, almost as if he were a child.

Almost in unison the entire table paused and looked over at him. Jolyn, slightly annoyed by his mother's smothering, nodded without showing much of his face. He forced a smile that only lasted for a split second. He still had not uttered a word from the moment he was retrieved from the infirmary. At first, Dora was afraid that the injury might have made him permanently unstable but Arne identified it as a form of PTSD mutism. It was something he saw with of war veterans. Jolyn functioned as he normally did. He could hear and he was completely responsive; he just didn't speak like before. Needless to say, the room became painfully mute as well. Carlos, released Ada's hand, having finished half of his bowl. He thanked everyone, especially Arne, for the alleviating gathering but exited the dining room to have some time alone. Ada watched him depart, knowing there was a type of guilt behind his exit. As unfair as it sounded, if anyone should feel guilty about Jolyn's current condition, it should be their mother. Glancing over at Jolyn, she smiled as their eyes met,

"How's your side feeling?"

Jolyn gave a response by scrunching up his nose and giving a slight shrug. He held up his hand parallel to the table and see-sawed it, implying that it was still moderately painful. _Meh. So-so._ His mind could say.

"Did you change your bandage?" Ada challenged him to respond differently.

However, Jolyn nodded with ease. Although she was pleased with the answer itself, it still hurt that she couldn't get a sound out of him after thinking she could. She was in competition with everyone else and if there was anyone she wanted Jolyn to speak with first, it _had_ to be her. In the end, her pride as a loving sibling only ended up destroyed. Everyone, except Jolyn and Emberly, left the dining room to gather in the living room. Jolyn wanted to be left alone, whereas Emberly had no choice but to finish up eating.

Standing from his seat, Jolyn slowly wandered to one of the windows that allowed the evening sunlight through its beige curtains. As much as the world changed, nature managed to retain itself in some form. Maybe those ghastly things out there were a part of nature all along? Squirrels still scavaged for nuts and flocks of birds flew overhead as if life was going on normally. However, as Jolyn looked closely at the old green gardening shed in the corner of the backyard, he recognized the same man who was cast out from Arne's home, entering it. It was clear he had nowhere else to turn, so staying in a cluttered shed was his only option. Jolyn cautiously looked over his shoulder, checking to see if anyone else was close by. He then looked over at Emberly and pressed his finger against his lips.

She stopped chewing, watching him as he sneaked another bowl of cereal for himself. She knew nothing about rationing but knew that hard times were among them and that food was no longer easy to come by. Once again, he put his index finger to his lips, which narrowed out into a troublesome smile. He searched relentlessly for something, walking back and forth to different parts of the house. Finally, Jolyn went out of sight before Emberly heard the opening of a door and seeing light emerge from a separate room and bounce into hers. Quickly getting up, she followed the sounds into the other room and the last glimpse she caught was a white door being pulled shut from the other side. Quickly Emberly ran back into the dining room and approached the window by pushing the curtains aside. She watched as Jolyn frolicked into the wide lawn of grass all while carefully trying to avoid spilling the overflowing bowl of cereal. From what she could observe, the stranger was apprehensive towards Jolyn, taken aback by this strange and nonverbal encounter. But as Jolyn held out the bowl, the stranger accepted it, obviously giving nods and smiles of gratitude. However, Emberly looked closer to the window and peered at what she thought she was imagining: Jolyn's lips were moving...or at least trying to move. But were words coming out? She couldn't tell.

Emberly smiled, amazed by her cousin's actions as she rested on the window sill, but something from the far right caught her eye. Once she looked over, she could see a reanimated corpse making its way further into the yard.

"Oh no…" she began knocking the glass, shouting his name.

Jolyn turned, having his attention successfully grabbed but was surprised to see three reanimated walking towards him and his new friend. Emberly struggled to open the jammed window even after unlocking it and the more she fought and hurt her delicate hands, the more time was being wasted. At this point, she could see another reanimated making it through the opposite side of the yard, cutting off Jolyn from safely running back inside of the house. Emberly dashed into the living room to summon the others, breaking through the stale and quiet milleu.

"What is it?" Dora closed a small bible she recently found.

"It's Jolyn! He's in the backyard! Those things are out there!"

Being the only ones present in the living room, Dora, Ada, and Carlos all jumped up from their seats. Meanwhile, Carlos and Ada followed Emberly back into the living room. Dora ran towards the front entrance to summon Arne, who was drilling locks and bolts to the door. He looked up as Dora called him from a couple of feet away and immediately explained everything to him. Wired to be ever-ready by the military, Arne grabbed the M4 that might as well have been attached to him and ran out through front entrance, taking another path from the front yard to the back.

Jolyn was clearly stricken with fear as he and the stranger were becoming cornered by the reanimated that surrounded them. One of them lifted its limp arm towards him, causing him to immediately struggle with its aggressiveness once it made contact. Its rancid breath touched Jolyn each and every time it opened its mouth. The soles of his shoes slid on the soil, as he attempted to push the reanimated back, bit by bit. The remaining three eventually wandered closer to the squatter. He looked around and grabbed a rusty shovel on the ground nearby the gardening shed and wildly swung it, hitting the nearest one in the face. The blow was enough to stun the reanimated but wasn't fatal enough. He swung the shovel once again, hitting the second reanimated in the face.

However, just in the nick of time, both Ada and Carlos emerged from the house. Ada outran her far more athletic boyfriend in bedroom slippers. Holding a Phillips screwdriver, that she nabbed, in a reverse-grip, she worked towards the reanimated that now had her brother pinned up against the side of the garden shed. As she pulled the reanimated away by the back of the neck, it immediately turned around, attempting to claw at her. Maintaining her focus through its appearance and smell, Ada grabbed hold of its throat. Quickly, Jolyn moved towards the side, giving Ada the opportunity to give the reanimated a taste of its own medicine. Instinctively, she kicked it into the side of the shed and dug the pointed end of the screwdriver through the ear of the reanimated, feeling it sink in as if she were impaling hardened wax.

"Ugh!" She grunted, yanking the screwdriver from its head.

Carlos was helping divert the attention of the three other reanimated away from the homeless fellow and was also cowering away from the pursuit of one. As he backed up, he heard a loud gunshot. Naturally jumping in fright, he looked up, seeing Arne in the distance. Looking through his scope, he fired a clear shot at the second one, immediately putting it down like an enemy in a war zone. The final reanimated, however, was hard to shoot seeing that it was chasing Ada and Jolyn around. Arne contemplated, endlessly fidgeting around with the trigger. However, he saw Ada stop running, luring the reanimated into her field. She shuffled backward, still imperfect at the act of killing a walking corpse—or killing in general. As it snarled and growled at her, she finally allowed it to get close enough where she could, once again, hold it by the throat. This time, she drove the screwdriver into its eye, feeling it puncture the brain. She aggressively pulled it out, stumbling backward before the monster could take it to the ground along with it. She was out of breath, momentarily stunned by had what just occurred. Her eyes lifted from the reanimated at her feet.

"What were you thinking?" She asked her lovable brother after embracing him.

His eyes nervously jerked away from her, unable to answer,

"Speak to me! Please!" She urged.

"H-He was bringing me food…" The squatter kindly answered for him, "It wasn't his fault. They just came so quickly."

After a long pause of uncertain looks and not knowing how to process this, Arne intervened.

"Let's talk about it inside."

Ada grabbed Jolyn's hand and somewhat dragged him back into the house, where Dora was watching over Emberly and waiting for her children in unsettlement. Once they arrived, Dora welcomed all three of the teenagers with affectionate hugs, not only proud of her son's benevolence but Ada's will to quickly adapt and Carlos' immaculate bravery.

Arne remained posted outside and watched as the squatter return to his secluded lifestyle. He was picking up the cereal from the grass, carefully dusting off each grain of cereal before dropping it back into the bowl. His tongue glossed over his top set of teeth, completely susceptible to the remorse, feeling as if he ultimately failed his duty as a serviceman.

"What's your name?" He asked.

Surprised that Arne hadn't turned his back on him, he stuttered before speaking, unable to look at the man who openly showed his loathings towards him every time their eyes met before.

"M-Merwyn. Merwyn Middleton"

"Merwyn…" Arne repeated. After sizing him up, he ashamedly looked down at the ground on his way down, "Do you, uh, have a place to sleep for the night?"

A stupid question, but he answered anyhow.

"No," Merwyn immediately denied, wanting to keep the garden shed a secret.

Arne fell quiet, feeling to blame for throwing the defenseless out to fend for themselves in a world of ravaging predators. One simple thing led to another and this was undeniably Arne's fault. He stood stiffly in position with his fists placed on his hips. He was overthinking what the next step was. He looked over his shoulder, seeing the Chadwells reenter the haven they claimed as their own. The last person to enter was Jolyn, who repeatedly seemed to look back at the both of them. Once he vanished, Arne was prompted to look back.

"Why don't you come inside?" He offered. Merwyn's mouth fell open, unable to speak. He quickly began grabbing the crumbs of cereal, but Arne stopped him, "Forget that. You can whip yourself up a nice bowl of cereal and a nice cup of coffee inside. No one deserves to be out here."

Emberly, who was still looking on from the inside, watched both of them stroll back towards the house. She pulled away, closing the curtains while doing so.


	2. Episode 2 - Rotten Luck

It was weeks since Arne, Carlos, Merwyn, the Chadwells and Emberly had been living comfortably in the dying radiance of the Canadian suburb, nearly making it to a month since the infection arrived. With some form of contribution from each guest in the home, the group managed to fortify it to a point where no reanimated or person could get in without alarming every one of them.

As the days were timidly passing by, empty boxes of cereal and empty cans of food was being thrown out every week.

Being long out of milk within the first two days, everyone had to rely on eating their dry cereal with some faucet water to wash it down. Dora had just thrown out an empty box of cereal left on the kitchen counter: A medium box of honey bunches of oats. Whoever was responsible didn't matter. She studied at the garbage bin, seeing that it nearly overflowed with cold trash, stripped of any trace of food that was prone to rotten. Overhead, Dora heard footsteps traveling across the upstairs corridor, eventually creaking their way downstairs. Turning from the staircase and coming into sight was Carlos. Due to the lack of grooming, he had a five o'clock shadow growing in. With plans to head straight to the gaming room, he found it difficult to ignore the bizarre presence of Dora at the edge of the room.

"Another one?" Carlos' eye's caught the trash.

Dora nodded, looking down at it in disappointment. Handling waste was something so simple, but now there was something divergent about it. Its previous purpose was all a part of the past now, and it stressed Dora out knowing that she'd have to get used to an entirely different lifestyle. She lifted the trash bag and tightened it by the drawstring. She took it to the back door and threw down the stairs, having it pile unto four other trash bags. She returned to the kitchen, where Carlos unconfidently waited by the sink.

"How much do we have left?" Dora asked.

Carlos faced the cupboards in the kitchen, opening up every single one before locating the right ones. Carlos counted about fifteen mixed cans of meats & vegetables, three and a half bags of cereal, and two unopened jars of mayonnaise.

"Unless you like eating mayo with a spoon, we're in luck…Damn it!" Carlos swore, "Why didn't we think to save this stuff?"

"We got too comfortable."

Out of the blue, similar treads were heard overhead again. Shortly after the stairs finished creaking, little Emberly entered the kitchen a couple of seconds later, clothed from head to toe in Hunter's shirt and shorts. She grabbed her favorite pale blue bowl and, like a hungry school child on a lunch line, stood with the bowl in her hands. She looked up at Carlos as he conveniently stood beside the cupboard she had a little trouble reaching without a stool. As if there could be any other reason a middle schooler would present an empty bowl in a kitchen, Dora still asked Emberly anyhow,

"What do you need?"

"Cereal. I'm hungry again," Emberly informed, peering up at the cupboards. Her eyes searched and searched, seeing only Corn Pops, Rice Krispies, a twin pack of Corn Flakes, and Raisin Bran. A look of dissatisfaction appeared on her face, "Hey, what happened to the Lucky Charms?"

Carlos took a deep breath,

"Don't you remember…? You finished it yesterday."

"Oh, okay. Then I'll take corn pops…" Emberly shrugged.

Carlos glanced up at Dora, receiving a subtle nod from her that allowed him to pour her a bowl. However, he poured judiciously, filling the bowl about halfway. Eventually giving in, he filled it a quarter more.

"Um, Emberly," Dora relaxed, hoping to come off less strict and non-threatening—something she did well as an aunt, "From this day on, we all have to start being a little more mindful with how much food we give ourselves. Okay?"

"Why?" Emberly rightfully questioned.

Carlos' took the next turn to explain,

"...Well, we're running low on food right now," he watched her eyes charge with worry, "But, that doesn't mean we'll starve or anything. We just have to be careful until we find more...okay?"

"Find…?" Emberly repeated. It had occurred to her that the world technically ended, but she couldn't believe she never thought about what having to obtain food would be like. Without further question, she played brave and nodded, "Okay," She popped a cereal chip in her mouth and exited the room.

Once her footsteps faded, the anxious pair were free to talk again. After a couple of minutes of talking some things over, both Carlos and Dora went down into the gaming room where Ada and Arne were both playing a mildly entertaining game of eight-ball pool. They were trying to come up with a reasonable bet in the middle of their game. The game, for the most part, was only being used as a distraction between the both of them. Since their arrival at the house, it was only a matter of time before Arne's demeanor began to change. He became moody and spoke a lot less. His face became heavier, having his frowns unintentionally make it worse. He, too, had twice the stubble Carlos had; ready to grow out into a full scarlet beard.

It was up to Ada to try and change that. Even if she had her downsides, she knew her current situation was something to be more thankful for.

"So who's winning?" Carlos smiled while approaching the pool table.

"I'm am sorely getting my butt kicked by this guy…" Ada concentrated.

Dora walked over to the table and watched their game until they were positive that Arne was going to take the win. But Arne found himself in a tough position to right away, accidentally pocketing the black ball and causing Ada to win by default. Everyone in the room groaned at his misfortune. He smiled. Living evidence that the distraction was working to some extent,

"We still haven't come up with a bet," Arne said, placing his cue stick on the pool table.

"We'll come up with something…" Ada smiled back.

Dora waited for everyone to engage and experience their elation to avoid being a buzzkill. Carlos called the next game and although Arne was somewhat forced to play, he gladly accepted the challenge.

"Can we all...talk for a minute?" Dora asked, unable to wait another minute.

"Sure, mom, what's up?" Ada asked, still having the pool cue in her hand.

They couldn't believe that they hadn't seen it before, but a conversation this serious was bound to happen sooner or later. The topic was carried to the dining room, which was now the place where everyone congregated when serious discussions were being held. Everyone, except for Emberly, was present at the dining room table. The only two standing was Dora and Arne, who was leaning on the counter in the front of the room,

"Some of you might have noticed that we're running a little low on food..."

"A little is an understatement," Carlos muttered.

Dora paused, for a very long time, afraid of what to suggest next. Ada, who sat at the table, briefly looked around at everyone else who sat at the table and back at her mother,

"Is that it?" Ada asked.

"Well," Arne, took over, "I think the point we're trying to make here is that we all start being a little more mindful of how much food we take from this point on. Like...rationing."

"How much food do we have left?" Merwyn wondered.

"We have, like...what, Seven mouths to feed?" Carlos counted on his fingers, "The food we have left won't even last us a month."

"We can just get more right…?" Ada exhaled, almost afraid to suggest.

"That's if other people haven't already had the same idea," Arne crossed his built arms.

Dora understood the cause of her own hesitance in the beginning, and it was because she was afraid to suggest what everyone was alluding to. Not only did she not want to endanger her family and allies, but there was an explicit fear of that dead that harvested itself in her as well. Suggesting to send others out meant doing it alongside them, and Dora didn't believe she was ready for that yet. She had killed a total of five reanimated since they arrived, and there were just some things so distressing about the process of it. Seeing those things face to face was terrifying. And if staying inside of a house for the rest of her life meant avoiding having to encounter another one of those reanimated, she would gladly accept that. But despite just getting by in this house, they haven't been able to live as they use to.

With a couple of exceptions, it was understandable why one couldn't find the time to brush their teeth, shower every night, or change their clothes. But they weren't completely devoid of those options yet. They could still do something about the conditions they had been living in for the past few days.

At the end of their assembly, it meant more than just food. It was about garb, hygienics, antiseptics; things that would take time to gather in more than just a day if it was as hopeless as they assumed it was. As the discussion went on, they came to an ultimate consensus that they would have to prepare for some kind of scavenging in the next couple of days without even a thought of procrastination, or else they would be setting themselves up for something far worse than death.

Once the meeting was over, everyone dispersed into different parts of the house. Carlos and Arne went back down into the game room, meanwhile, Jolyn disappeared upstairs. Merwyn remained seated at the dining room, having yet to find his place in all of this.

Ada cut into the kitchen as she planned to follow her mother into the living room. She walked over to the dish rack and grabbed a glass cup that she washed earlier that morning. Instead of drinking some warm juice from the nonoperating fridge, she boldly chose water. Holding the cup underneath the faucet, she pushed up the knob, having the water start off strong yet quickly become depleted in no less than a few seconds.

She stood in place, completely stunned by the convenience of it all. Having her arm remain in the same position, she waited as long as she needed to, to catch the last few drops of water. Once the faucet fully stopped, she returned to playing with the knob, pushing it in all different directions. Nothing seemed to be working. Admittedly, the teen liberal wasn't fond of Canada's water, seeing that she came from a state declared with one cleanest drinking water in the country. But after today, it was a thought that would never come up again. She furrowed her brows and gave a tremulous inhale before taking one a small sip and walking off to inform the others.

* * *

Once the following day arrived, the group (Arne) decided that they should immediately go out to venture for some food and supplies.

Dora, Carlos, Ada, and Arne were the ones who originally volunteered to go for the hunt while the others remained in the house, but the lineup was eventually changed for good reason. As formidable as they all were, both Dora and Ada had nothing but bedroom slippers and clothes from the time they left New York City. And even if everyone wasn't necessarily suited for a war, the thin clothing of Dora and the exposed flesh of Ada was too much of a risk.

Merwyn, on the other hand, hadn't done much the last couple of days except eat and sleep. Even after he was taken into the house, he hadn't ceased any opportunity to get to know anyone in the house. He tried speaking to Jolyn on his first night in the house, but it was hard to say much to a person who didn't say anything at all. So, he, being thrown into the lineup was more of a 'earn your keep' situation.

Emberly remained in the house by default, and she wasn't at all opposed to it. For the past couple of days, Arne had given her permission to treat Hunter's room as if it was her own. Seeing that the girl was in complete turmoil from the moment she stepped foot in Dora's home, Arne wanted her to feel differently after stepping into another. Hunter had possessed action figures, comic books, and games for her beloved Gameboy in his room. From the time she stepped foot in there, it was impossible to get her out.

Carlos walked around the house with a surgical mask over his face, whereas Jolyn followed him around with a yellow notepad and pen he found in the attic. He scribbled impressive little sketches around the edges of the list of things they needed:

 **1.** Water

 **2.** Toothbrushes

 **3.** Toothpaste

 **4.** Rubbing alcohol

 **5.** Bandages

 **6.** Food (anything!)

And listed right underneath were the correct sizes of clothes for everyone in the house.

Arne walked towards the front entrance with Merwyn compelled to stick to him. He stopped as he strolled passed the wide opened living room, seeing Carlos present with Jolyn close behind him. They were grouped up in the center of the living room with Dora and Ada present.

"You ready?" Arne specifically asked Carlos.

In truth, no one was ready for this, but it had to be done and it was too late for anyone to opt out. Surprisingly, the only person who seemed less tense from it all was Merwyn the Squatter. Carlos gave Dora and his girlfriend one last hug, having Ada's own be the longest. As much as he wanted to kiss her, he still didn't want to expose the true nature of their relationship to her holy mother. Their gaze lingered on one another until he walked towards the doorway having Jolyn follow close nearby. Arne looked back a couple of times, spotting Jolyn close behind them. However, he never anticipated that he would try to walk out with them. Like an automatic barrier, Arne lowered his arm in Jolyn's path after letting everyone else exit.

"Whoa, whoa. Hold on, where do you think you're going?" he inquired like some overseer, "Dora!" He called, receiving unbelieved glares from the voiceless teenager.

Dora walked out from the living room, seeing Jolyn by the portal that took them to an entirely different world,

"What's wrong"

"I caught him trying to leave," Arne snitched.

Dora's eyes widened as if it were the worst news she had gotten all day—and it probably was. Arne, on the other hand, felt like he accomplished it probably was. Arne, on the other hand, felt like he accomplished something.

"Are you crazy?" Dora asked.

Jolyn couldn't remove his eyes from Arne, furious that he would do such a thing knowing that he couldn't defend himself. The more Dora tried to encourage her son to stop, Jolyn's fists balled up. He shook with fury,

"What?!" Arne shouted. He balled up his own mitts, "Are you upset?! Is that what is it?! I bet you wanna tell me off, huh!?" Arne gave an intense scowl that seriously made Dora and Ada fear that he was going to attack. If Dora didn't know any better, she thought that Arne was going to scrap with her teenage son. Jolyn's nose flared and his chest began to huff quickly. Arne stepped closer, huffing his chest out more significantly, "If you have something to say, then say it! Or else you aren't coming on this mission!" Arne shouted louder than before.

Without skipping a beat, Jolyn raised his finger and flipped him off before walking off. Ada quickly chased after him.

"Oh, lord," Dora sighed, shaking her head.

"I'm just trying to get him to say something."

"I know, I know…" Dora said resting her hand on Arne's shoulder, "You guys go ahead. I'll try to calm him down."

Arne looked over his shoulder, responding to the calls of Carlos, who was pointing out two infected walking towards their direction—possibly alarmed from all the yelling.

You could never be too sure who was going to return, so Arne found it tough to give his best wishes to the rest of them in the house. Dora gave him her greatest wishes before he could walk out and assist Carlos, who had already retrieved the sledgehammer from the backseat of his car. After Carlos slammed his car doors shut, he sauntered further into in the middle of the suburban road and patiently waited for the two reanimated to approach him. Both of the creatures had pale grey skin and smelled like rotting garbage the closer they roamed. One wore a pink dress shirt and fancy pants, while the other wore a yellow top, slacks and a party hat.

Arne and Merwyn stood on the grassy sidelines, watching Carlos bravely face the infected. However, they were also determined to step in if things went askew,

"Need help?" Arne examined.

"No, no, no. I got this. I got this," Carlos prepped.

Carlos had calculated a plan in his head that had failed the moment the fancy dressed reanimated seemed to catch up a lot quicker than the other. Holding his weapon with one hand along the middle and the other near the end of the shaft, he powerfully swung the sledgehammer across the reanimated's face. He instantly heard a moistened crack, similar to a crushed watermelon. He continuously backed up, momentarily verifying that the first reanimated was killed before properly re-wielding his weapon. Swinging in the other direction, the second reanimated fell to the ground, having its party had snap off its head. It took an extra pounding to smash in its decaying cranium, ultimately finishing it off.

Breathing heavily, Carlos rested the sledgehammer over his right shoulder. He looked over at Arne who happily making it to the driver's side of his Humvee,

"Seriously?" Arne said, unlocking his car door.

"I wanted to hit the both of them at once," Carlos explained.

"With a sledgehammer?" Arne teased as he climbed into his car. Carlos' weapon choice may have been odd, but he verbally expressed that there weren't many weapons to go around. Besides, it was far better than using a gun. From the looks of it, his sledgehammer didn't attract _any_ reanimated like Arne's assault rifle usually did. He arguably thought a firearm should be a last resort for fighting the dead. Arne prepared to close his door, "Alright let's get going before more of those things show up."

Carlos hopped into the passenger's seat, leaving his own car keys behind in case the remainders of the group needed it. Merwyn sat in the backseat, unintentionally funking up the rest of the car with his body odor until they cracked open the windows with the untrue excuse of feeling too hot.

The drive only took about two minutes was close enough to the suburban area so that if anything went wrong, they could reach home in no time. Arne drove through a small street full of a variety of stores: Plumbing stores, electronics, locksmiths. From what Arne could remember, the streets were popular during the weekends and from now on, the street permanently looked like any other weekday with a couple of corpses roaming here and there as if they had any business to take care of.

The first stop was a small business which was independently owned. Unsurprisingly, it was already broken into and the shelves were literally stripped of everything. They ventured out further searching stores of a similar type. They had searched just about six stores in total, and all they managed to find was a packet of socks, playing cards, and three neglected trash bags. Locating yet another store, Carlos walked behind the cash register, resting his sledgehammer on the counter. With the press of a button, the till popped open with a loud _ching!_

"Huh. There's fifty Canadian dollars in here…" he checked.

"You can take it if you want. Money's useless now," Arne reminded. Arne looked contemplated as he studied the empty shelves. There was nothing useful, "I was afraid of this."

Carlos pushed the till in halfway until he looked down and noticed that he was stepping on something. Bending down, he picked up a coin of unknown worth and pocketed it. He walked out from behind the counter, waiting for Arne to announce their next big plan. Merwyn, on the other hand, circled around the back of them, giving the illusion that he was searching more elaborate. Once he made it around the counter, he quickly nabbed the fifty-dollars for himself. Was it considered thievery? No one could say for sure.

"We're gonna have to check out Metro. That's the supermarket just up the street," Arne enlightened.

"Supermarket?" Carlos repeated with raised eyebrows, "Supermarkets are pretty... _super_ aren't they? They're big."

Arne nodded with a heavy exhale, minorly chuckling at Carlos' comment. He understood that it was risky, but now was a time where sacrifices and hard choices had to routinely be practiced if it meant survival for all of them.

"Everywhere's dangerous. But unless we wanna live, it's the best bet we have. There's no way a supermarket that big could be picked clean in just a month. Maybe close to a year. Maybe even more. But not a month."

"What are we looking for?"

"We'll know when we get there. Just grab what you think is important."

"How far is it?" Merwyn interjected, deciding to stand beside them.

Arne wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea either and it showed. But seeing Arne give the same sense of discomfort was the only reason why Carlos agreed to go first place. They had to be on the same track and work together from now on. All there was left to do was be supportive of one another and watch each other's backs. Merwyn's place in all of this confused him just as much as anyone else. For someone who never even bothered to volunteer, he was in favor of turning around and going back to the house. But just like his position in the previous world, he still had no voice. As much as he appreciated being let into the home, his current presence was nothing more than artificial.

The supermarket was just on the next block over. The three of them hopped back into the truck and slowly cruised through the wide streets, three lanes on each side. The truck eased to a stop, being parked on the opposite side of the road in which the supermarket watched them back. From where they were they could see multiple reanimated amble around the cars in the parking lot. The entrance to the parking lot was blocked off by a car that seemingly failed to make it out. In the driver's seat, was an older, reanimated gentleman who looked directly ahead at them.

"Geez, where is everyone?" Arne said, looking out of the window, "I expected to at least see _someone_ out here. Anyone."

He drove down a couple more miles and made a u-turn so he could park directly in front of the store. He rolled up all the windows, more repulsed by the enemies scent rather than Merwyn's. The sound of the motor that initially lured them from afar, was shut off.

The supermarket was one story and upheld a uniform color of dingy gray and red. The words 'metro' being in big, bold, red letters were just above it on the outside.

As they camped in the car, a reanimated, by the grace of God, wandered past the supermarket, having the motion-sensor doors slide open for it. It was a good sign that the place wasn't locked down, but seeing that a reanimated could enter the very location so immaculately gave them morbid thoughts. They wanted to avoid taking it there, but there minds wouldn't let them. Eventually, someone popped the question: What if there are too many? The simple answer would be to turn around and leave, but it was too simple of an answer that none of them wanted to say aloud for the others to hear.

"We should get going now," Carlos looked over at Arne, "But please avoid using that gun. We don't want to draw any more of those things."

Before they could get going, Merwyn passed over a backpack with camouflage print by the request of Arne. He unzipped it and pulled out a suppressor: a cylindrically shaped device and quickly mounted it onto his firearm by screwing it onto the narrow end of his M4's nozzle. Being in the military, you were equipped for everything.

He also instructed Carlos to look in the glove compartment and take out a small hammer. Doing so, he passed it to Merwyn so that the quiet man could have something to defend himself with. They all exited the car, carefully shutting doors quietly. They immediately scurried to the supermarket entrance, where the doors immediately welcomed them. Looking on the inside of the dark supermarket, all three men could tell that there was enough to last them for more than a while.

Carlos was the first to take a step in a separate direction,

"Wait!" Arne whispered in demand, causing Carlos to freeze, "Don't ever just wander off like that. Communicate. We have to stick together."

Carlos nodded and pointed towards some large, store brand tote bags that he planned on sneaking for all of them. Given a thumbs up, Carlos grabbed one for all of them. Thankfully, they blindly wandered into a snack aisle on their first attempt and began filling up their bags with goods such as granola bars, cereal, rice, powdered drinks, and canned goods such as milk, meat, and veggies.

Their bags were getting fuller overtime, but by how smoothly things were going, it carried one of them away. Carlos, who was having a difficult time carrying around both a heavy tote bag and a sledgehammer suggested that they turn back after spotting some reanimated walking through the isles to catch up to the faint noises that the three survivors were making. Arne denied the request, saying that they had at least a little bit more room in their bags for a few more items.

Hurrying around the back of the store, the group eventually gravitated towards the non-functioning refrigerators and ran to the milk section. Since the new shipment of food products was no longer possible, the gallons and pints of milk were most likely expired.

Carlos, who had worked in food retail during his years in high school, learned that new shipments of food were usually rotated and that the most recent shipments were shoved to the back. With the help of Arne, Carlos quickly emptied the shelves by placing the milk on the floor. Clearing about five shelves, they found four milk jugs that would graciously last until the next couple of weeks.

"One's coming!" Merwyn hid before warning. But no matter how well hidden he seemed, the reanimated was being drawn into his direction.

A gallon of milk was thrown in Merwyn's arms and they immediately started hurrying before the reanimated turned into their isle and started to chase after them. Merwyn was in the lead, and just as he turned the corner, a dormant reanimated startled him from just around the corner of the next aisle and instinctively lunged at him. Merwyn was able to evade the reanimated, but another came out of the following isle. Frightened, Merwyn made an immediate turn into the nearest path he could find, leaving his fellow comrades behind. He pushed past a pair of double doors, having it's thick elastic flaps around the edges direct the reanimated in his direction. Merwyn's breath picked up, noticing the reanimated quickly stagger after him. Being a lot faster, Merwyn quickly circled around the reanimated and placed down his tote bag. Sneaking up behind the reanimated, he quickly rotated the hammer and held it backward.

Possessing a load of uncertainty and anticipation, Merwyn struck the reanimated in the head with the claw. With the hammer presently rooted in the back of its head, the reanimated fell to the ground but slowly began to recover being that its skull was the only thing fractured.

Petrified to either reclaim his hammer or walk over the stunned reanimated, Merwyn grabbed his tote bag and delved further into the supermarket's backroom. With the reanimated outpaced, Merwyn looked out from behind a wall, seeing the reanimated make it to his feet and follow. Merwyn's eyes scoured around, noticing that there weren't many paths to take. He continued to walk down the thin path he was now backed into and pushed past another pair of double doors to his left. He was in the dairy. An area that loaded the supermarket's fridges from the backroom. There were about five to six crates of milk and juice sitting on the floor and an unwrapped u-boat truck full of unopened products.

However, having his attention grabbed, Merwyn looked up seeing two shadowy figures dart their way across the closed refrigerators on the opposite end,

"Where'd he go?!" he could hear Carlos' muffled voice as it faded further into the front of the supermarket.

"Shit! Move! There's another one!" Arne was heard next.

As much as he wanted to call for them, Merwyn new that noise attracted the undead monsters that sought after them. Fearing that they would leave without him, Merwyn exited the swinging double doors that led back to the skinny path. Planning to retract his steps and exit the backroom, he looked up and saw his hammered persecutor. Its back was turned, having already lost its train of thought and returning to its dumbfounded state. Taking this as the chance to escape, Merwyn ventured further into the back room, desperately looking for some sort of exit.

Eventually, Merwyn ran into a large steel door with an unconventional knob. He could best describe it as a vault. His eyes wandered around the edges of the door, seeing a sign just above it in large red letters that spelled 'FREEZER ROOM'.

Merwyn looked down and shook his head, taking a huge gulp. He rested his hands on the knob and pulled the door wide open, hoping that it would be an exit that would expose him to the parking lot that wrapped around the back of the supermarket. But it was just too good to be true. As the ponderous door continuously swung open on its own, Merwyn was, instead, greeted by the turning heads of various reanimated. From what he could count before running, there was roughly around eleven of them. Probably more.

Merwyn yelped as they all snarled and hissed in his direction and rushed towards him like an unruly stampede. With some even tripping over one another, Merwyn was able to quickly outthink them. He faced the opposite direction and ran back into the dairy room, being that his initial assailant was stumbling towards the recently made commotion. As the doors swung shut, Merwyn quickly wheeled the loaded u-boat in front of the double doors, also piling stacks of unopened boxes and crates in front of the entrance. He was soaked in head to toe from perspiration—both from despair and exhaustion. He slowly backed away from the door and realized that the horde could easily overpower anything once they worked together. Posthaste, he ran towards one of the dairy fridges and quickly unloaded it from the back, tossing out quarts of juices and milk that burst open on impact. Sticking his hand through the shelf he began to bang on the glass,

"HEEELP!" Merwyn bellowed, "HEEELP! PLEASE!"

Freeing the head of his sledgehammer from a reanimated's head, Carlos looked up at Arne, who was walking out from one of the aisles,

"We need to leave—"

"Shh!" Carlos shushed. He lifted his pointer, "Do you hear that?"

Being on the other end of the fridge, Merwyn watched as two figures crept past the fogged glass. Suspecting that it could've been more reanimated, led in from the outside. Merwyn assumed that this was how his chapter was going to end. His irrational fear of dying and being forgotten and unknown was just about to come true. His body became limp, dropping the bag from his shoulder and causing a couple of products to roll out. He rested his head on one of the shelves and began sobbing, repeatedly saying God's name over and over again.

" _Why? Why did it have to be like this for me?!" He shouted towards the shadowy ceiling._

However, he looked up at the door being pulled open. Through the wide spacing of the shelves, he could make out Carlos' face,

"What are you doing back there?!" He asked.

"LET ME OUT! HURRY!" Merwyn cried.

With the help of Carlos and Arne, they managed to clear twice as many shelves than one could on their own. Since the shelves couldn't be removed from Merwyn's end, it was up for the others to do the job.

From behind, one the group of reanimated pushed enough to make an opening that would allow one reanimated in at a time. Two were now easing up behind him.

Having removed just about enough fixtures from the lower part of the fridge, Merwyn crouched and instantly began crawling underneath, nearly ejecting himself through to the other side,

Before Merwyn could grab Carlos' outreached hand, he quickly went back into the dairy, being damned that he'd nearly escape death with nothing to show for it. Carlos, on the other hand, was bewildered by his actions.

Now in a room with four other reanimated, Merwyn pushed the closest one back, knocking it into the second one behind it and causing them to fall over like a pair of dominos. Merwyn grabbed the tote bag and crouched back through the fridge.

Successfully clutching Carlos' hand, he was expelled through the opening. Quickly standing from the floor, he managed to slam the fridge shut and rest on the door.

"You alright?" Arne nudged.

He attempted to catch his breath while nodding,

"Water..." Merwyn wheezed.

Arne looked unsatisfied,

"Sorry, but...we couldn't find any."

Merwyn shook his head,

"No," he huffed once again. He pointed up at the very tip-top of the shelves behind them: There were twelve cases of water, each possessing twenty-four bottles.

* * *

Arne slammed the trunk of his truck shut and climbed into the front seat, meeting Merwyn in the passenger's seat. Taking a moment to review their task, Arne could happily admit that he was pleased with the way things went...even if there were a couple of slip-ups. He held up his fist, having Merwyn softly bump it with his own. Hitting the road as soon as they could, Arne cruised through the neighborhoods, looking out for some sign of vitality in any of the blocks. And from the looks of it, it was yet to be found.

Arriving back home, Arne parked his Humvee on the lawn to make transporting their 'groceries' easier. The three of them sat in the car, still delighted by their achievements. Although he may have been high on all of their euphoria, Carlos figured that scavenging should only become easier. Give or a take, a couple of more months and they would probably be professionals. But they weren't really looking to become experts.

"We did good today," Carlos uttered, "Too bad we couldn't get the ladies their clothes. Looks like it's gonna be the three of us until Jolyn heals."

"I'd like to wear something new for once too," Merwyn commented, "You probably can't tell, but I've been wearing these close for months now."

Arne and Carlos paused, both slightly rolling down the window.

"Well," Arne started off, glazing over every single homogenous home in the suburb, "I'm pretty there's clothes left over somewhere in these houses."

Carlos agreed, nodding to every word that Arne said.

"Yeah, but there's gotta be an easier way," Carlos interjected from the backseat. He was only considering the precautions and risks that came with entering places that only _seemed_ vacant. Because what may look vacant on the outside, maybe the complete opposite. After a long and thoughtful pause, Carlos spotted a small framed reanimated making its way towards the Humvee. Spontaneously noticing that it wore a white blouse, "Hm, I think Ada would like that top."

Once he said those words, a lightbulb went off over the entire vehicle. In only a day, they had figured out their new method of 'shopping' for goods. And although things no longer cost money, it still came at a very expensive and irreplaceable price.

* * *

Having acquired new clothes from the bags of rotting bones and skin, Dora had used the backyard pool to endlessly scrub their newly found gifts for her and Ada. She rested them on the porch railing, leaving them to dry in the sun for the rest of afternoon.

Dora returned into the living room, seeing Arne captivated by a big brown book. Being the only two in the living room, she snuck up on him and sat on the chair beside him,

"Hey!" She surprised him.

He looked up, surprised,

"Hey," he smiled, "Liking your new clothes?"

She nodded and looked over at the book like the nosey woman she always was. He was flipping through the pages of a family album.

"It's been tough," Arne randomly confessed, "I miss them," He said, staring a photo of himself and his ex-wife pushing their son on a swing set at the park. His eyes began to tear up and he let out a powerful breath, "I don't know how much longer I can last without them, Dora. I might give up."

"You guys looked very happy together," Dora complimented.

"We were."

"What happened...?" She diligently questioned.

"It's complicated," Arne scratched his fiery red stubble, "Things just didn't work out. I was stationed in New York City...and she didn't want to go. She wanted to stay here and be and yoga teacher. But we had problems even before that. Her parents were well-off people and I was never good enough for them. They were both surgeons in South Korea before they moved here."

"What was" Dora caught herself, "What's her name?"

"Penelope."

"Well...I'm sure that Hunter and Penelope are fine. You said the family car was gone, right? As long as they stay on the road, I'm sure they'll be safe..." Dora positively preached, aiming to raise his spirits.

As much as Arne wanted to take Dora's word for it, it was telling that she couldn't do it same without stammering and searching for the right words. Arne continued to flip through the pages and wrinkled his face at something peculiar that Dora couldn't identify no matter how hard she tried,

"What is it…?" Dora asked, noticing his face.

"Uh," He flipped back and forth between the same two pages. He stuttered and pressed his finger on an empty spot in the family album, "Here," he suddenly exclaimed. Dora looked at him in bewilderment, unsure if he finally snapped like he claimed he would. From the looks of it, there was nothing there, "T-there was a photo of her parents here, but it's missing."

Arne placed the book down on the coffee table and began to pace around the living room. Dora watched him with concern,

"What's wrong?" Dora popped.

"The photo of her parents; it's gone!"

Dora felt exhausted just by merely trying to decode whatever message Arne was so eagerly striving to share.

"I…?" Dora shrugged.

"I know where she is!"

As much as Dora wanted to support Arne's theory about Hunter and Penelope, she just couldn't go by such a dramatic hunch. In addition, she was having such a difficult time vocalizing her opposition to it. Arne, a man she had still barely known, had done so much for her and her family, basically putting his life on the line for them. He was fearless and noble, but that was where they polarized. She could admit that she was nothing like him. During their discussion on the subject matter, he left himself with a very grim ultimatum—if he never ended up finding them, there was nothing left to fight for. His plan was to leave the suburbia. To leave Montreal and drive to Quebec City where this so-called lakehouse was. The excitable soldier would have loved nothing more than to have the Chadwells come along with him and meet his family, but he wasn't going to force Dora to leave the sanctity of this home behind for someone else to enjoy. A sanctity that would be unachievable if she and her family weren't around. But frankly, it wasn't worth more than his son. Hunter could provide the same feeling plus tenfold.

Dora sat on the living room couch, deep in thought about Arne's last words once she encouraged him to sleep on it.

"It doesn't matter how much sleep I get. I'm leaving first thing in the morning…"

Again, he wasn't going to force them to tag along with him, which is why he left it up to Dora to announce whether or not they should prepare for a second road trip.

But before Arne left the room that night, the soldier concluded his discourse with one final question: Did Dora truly care about finding Hunter when she made the decision to leave New York City with him? Or was it just a masquerade for the sole preservation of her own family and friends? Did Arne truly matter?

* * *

The next morning rolled in pretty quickly, Dora was one of the first to wake up. After everyone had gotten so accustomed to their lifestyle in Penelope's home, they slowly began sleeping in different rooms of the house. Jolyn and Carlos slept on the couches in the basement game room. Ada slept in the guest room. Emberly basically lived in Hunter's room. Merwyn loved sleeping underneath the dining room table for some odd reason. And Dora was the only one who spent nights in the living room on the recliner chair with a pretty navy blanket to match.

Dora stood up out of her rocking chair and quietly made her way upstairs, walking past what used to be Penelope's bedroom. The door was slightly ajar. Unable to tell if Arne was awake, Dora took a couple of steps closer to the room. At just the wrong moment, the floorboards creaked, giving her position away.

Arne, who was already sitting at the edge of his bed and tying his laces, looked over at the door,

"Who is it?" He asked, trying to get a good gaze through the crack.

"Oh, you're awake, Arne?" Dora said, pushing her head through the door, "I...was going to use the bathroom."

Knowing that the sewage was no longer working in any of the bathrooms, Arne nodded regardless. Up until this afternoon, they had been relying on pails. To keep the scent from reeking the house, you had to step out into the garden shed in the backyard and do your business there. Then you had to dump the wastes over into the neighbor's yard.

"...Where are you going?" Dora sought, feeling though she already knew the answer.

"I already told you. I'm going to look for my family," He said sternly, standing from the bed, "From the looks of it I guess you haven't told everyone else?"

"Arne, I'm scared to send my kids out there. I'm terrified."

"I get that, which is why I'm allowing you and your family to stay here. This is your home now."

"But…" Dora paused.

Arne looked at her through the reflection of the dresser's mirror,

"You have Carlos, Ada, and Jolyn to protect you."

"They're just kids Arne…" Dora became teary-eyed. Again, sticking to her principles by believing it was weak to show pain as a mother, "I'll fight as much as I have to, but...look at us," she watched as Arne turned his attention directly to her. She continued, "I doubt we'll even last a month."

As much as Arne wanted to see his ex-wife and son again, he had to admit that linking a missed photograph to his family's possible whereabouts was a pretty drastic jump. He looked back to down at the dresser fawning over the various photographs of his family,

"Alright," Arne gave in, "I'll stay. Might have taken now for me to realize it but...you guys are all I have too."

Dora smiled.

"Well, I'm glad you see it that way. Because we've decided to come with you…"

Arne laughed, turning beet red throughout each giggle. She may not have known him for that long, but it was great to see a laugh with that much gratitude for the very first time.

* * *

The drive to Quebec City was a two-hour drive and then some. Therefore Arne brilliantly thought of the unpopular idea to return to the supermarket and fetch some more supplies before hitting the road soon after. Stepping on the gas towards Quebec City was an itch he was longing to satisfy the entire day despite all of their long preparations.

So once Carlos, Arne, and Merwyn returned with their new items, the group began loading their vehicles with plenty of goods they had stockpiled in Penelope's residence. Loading it with a couple of other miscellaneous possessions of the home, the trunks of both vehicles were eventually filled to capacity.

Suddenly pressing a walking corpse up against the back window of Arne's empty truck, Dora plunged Jolyn's blade into its temple and yanked it out, throwing it back by the shoulder. She ran her fingers through her hair, combing strands back into her ponytail. Returning her gaze back to the streets, she looked up and down both ends of the block to see if there were anymore incoming infected. Once the coast looked deserted again, Dora walked back onto the sidewalk.

"How are you holding up, Ms. Dora?" Carlos asked from the front seat of his minivan.

"I just think the youth should be lookout. Not someone like me," Dora claimed. She kicked at the grass beneath her new brown boots.

Killing the reanimated took effort. And even if they were dead she didn't even like killing the damned things. There had already been multiple occasions where Dora had frozen up while seconds away from finishing off a reanimated. Once she fully realized that these beings weren't like bugs, who'd fly away once you released them, she understood that every encounter was one that had to be finished.

The house was being swept through one last time, just to double-check that nothing valuable was being left behind. Once Arne exited the house, he walked over to Mrs. Chadwell, who was standing right beside his car with her arms crossed,

"You guys ready?" Arne asked, shuffling his keys around.

Dora didn't answer. Being responsible for head checks, she felt that something was slightly off. Dora looked through all of the car windows. She shook her head, pestered by her rowdy teen's negligence. She shouted directly at her offspring who she couldn't believe were still possessing traits of incompetency during a time like this. They were being playful with one another, sitting in the car with Carlos,

"You forgot your own cousin in the house?!" Dora kissed her teeth.

Ada gasped, whereas Jolyn's eyes widened in shock. The mute teen looked elsewhere, pretending to be completely oblivious to the entire situation. Ada pinched her brother's side and quickly jumped out of the backseat of the Volkswagen and outwalked her mother to the front door of the house.

Being that the door was locked from the inside, Ada softly knocked on the door until Emberly ran downstairs with a grey backpack that obviously wasn't her own. The older cousin informed the preteen that they were getting ready to hit the road. Emberly was told that morning, but she didn't actually want to believe that they would leave. Emberly buried her face in the comic books while walking down the porch.

"Watch where you're walking!" Ada nagged, snatching the comic book from Emberly's hand.

Being that they were all exposed to the dangers of reanimated, Ada was determined to set Emberly straight seeing that she nearly left her abandoned in a boarded-up home.

"I was reading that!" Emberly crossed her arms. She jumped up, attempting to grab the book from Ada as she raised her arm high into the air.

Ada lowered her arm and turned over the book to read the title,

" _Outcast_? Since when are you into comic books?" Ada questioned the youngling, remembering when it used to be all about technology before the power went out.

"Since my Gameboy died," Emberly proved. She held out her hand, prompting Ada to place the rolled up comic book back in her palm, "Besides, I gotta find out who died."

"How many times do I have to remind you? Spoilers!" Carlos yelled from his car, placing on a pair of white sunglasses.

Choosing between the Humvee and the Volkswagen, the nerdish preteen crawled in the minivan wanting to be surrounded by teenagers she felt were like minded. Following her, Ada locked the door behind her. Dora stuck with her unofficial partner: Arne. In the backseat was Merwyn, who now clean cut and was wearing fresh new clothes that he retrieved on his own. He looked like a new man.

"Let's get goin'" Arne rooted. He honked his car and pulled out from the curb.

Making a u-turn out of the block, he sped down the road, carefully swerving past a reanimated walking the streets.


	3. Episode 3 - Gunpoint

Dora and Arne were the only ones awake in the Humvee, attempting to block out a snoring Merwyn in the backseat. What initially started off as somewhat irritating, eventually converted into something entertaining. Behaving like two immature school children, Dora and Arne snorted and made jokes that only they would both find amusing. And every time Dora's obnoxious laugh was enough to cause Merwyn to move around in his sleep, they forcibly bottled themselves up,

"How are they doing back there?" Arne briefly taking his eyes off the road.

Dora turned and looked through to the backseat, attempting to see through the minimal spaces that their mountain of loot didn't obscure the trunk,

"Looks like Carlos is the only one awake,"

"Those kids could never last a day with us, huh?" Arne joked.

Dora chuckled lightly, discreetly looking at Arne from where she sat. She noticed the bloodshot appearance and bags surrounding his eyes. Turning away, she looked into the side mirror, noticing the impeccable similarities with her own,

"Did you get any rest last night?" she rested her head back.

Arne hesitated before answering, hoping that this wouldn't be used as a reason to not be behind the wheel. He answered honestly and shook his head. He asked why it was so important to know. Dora paused, understanding how it felt to lose sleep over loved ones. Hell, Dora could barely get a good night's even while Jolyn, Ada, and Emberly were around her. The neverending doubts just never seemed to let her sit comfortably for once.

"I just want to make sure that you'll be okay," Dora gulped. She opened her mouth, unable to come across without sounding too harsh, "Just...if things don't happen to go as planned. I want to make sure you'll be alright."

It was foolish to believe that somberness was something capable of being diminished. It never vanished. It only stalked, _always_ waiting for the opportunity to crash back down and overtake whatever lively atmosphere that was likely to become devoured. And that was exactly what happened to them. He couldn't blame Dora for thinking the way she did, because he'd be lying if he said that it never crossed his mind. Dora just had the guts to vocalize the reality of what people were afraid to say—much less think. Arne wasn't a superstitious man, but the whole "speaking it into existence" was something he'd rather not toy with when it came to his family,

"Yes...I'd like fries with that…" Merwyn muttered in the backseat.

Even though the dullness existed as long as we did, it could still be stalled. Therefore, laughter, a little more lighthearted and genuine, tickled the interior of the jumping vehicle.

The city buildings and fancy neighborhood houses were left far behind. They were now in the countryside of the Quebec province, a province that was primarily French-speaking. Storefronts, billboards, and street signs were all in French, something that Dora immediately recognized due to her upbringing on an island that spoke a broken alternative Creole French—a Antillean Creole. Although the two were hardly alike, Dora learned a thing or two because of her heritage and background. Just like how English's relationship is with Latin and Greek, that's how Antillean Creole is with French.

Eventually taken off the road, Carlos followed the Humvee into a skinny, unpaved path that cut through a partition of lively green trees. The bumps and uneasy road caused everyone else in the Volkswagen to wake up. Merwyn, contrarily, was a heavy sleeper.

"Where the hell are we?" Ada rubbed her sleepy eyes.

Blindly following Arne from start to finish, there was no way Carlos could've answered that question. Three minutes into the forest and a large serene lake came into view, glistening as rays of sunlight bouncing off the capillary waves that danced on the entire body of water, looking frozen from a distance. Having the smallest crack in his window, the smell of the atmosphere suddenly shifted into something that felt fresh and crisp.

Acting as an invitation, the lake eventually led to a teal green two-story house,

"Wow," Carlos exclaimed in amazement.

"Arne's ex-wife must have a lot of money," Emberly peered in from the backseat.

"Yeah, well look at where all that money got us today…" Ada rolled her eyes.

"A fancy house in the suburbs and an even fancier lake house? Sounds like someone's jealous," Carlos poked from the front seat.

"I meant the world, genius! And jealous of what exactly?"

"That they didn't get to live such a luxurious life," Carlos stuck his tongue at her from the rearview mirror.

She retaliated with a scoff and rested comfortably in her new white collared blouse with baggy mesh sleeves and olive colored cargo pants. Dora had cleaned it so well, not once did she ever recall it being in contact with a corpse. She looked away, desperately holding herself back from going on an anti-capitalist tangent. Having preferred some kind of rant over silence, Carlos exhaled,

"I'm only kidding, babe…"

"Babe?" Emberly shouted in surprise.

Carlos short-circuited and began to stammer. Returning his focus back to the road, the Humvee in front of him slightly drove off the road and parked just off a small cluster of trees. Carlos did the same. Everyone exited the cars and stretched their stems around, feeling almost untouchable for some unknown reason.

Upon Dora's curiousness, he confirmed that this was the place. Arne looked at the house, unable to identify any sign that guaranteed anyone had been living in the lake house. He recognized it as a sanctum. It was a place where he and his wife would secretly go just before they had Hunter and it was where he had been conceived. Walking down a small set of wooden steps that led to the lake house property, Arne approached the doorway with the rest of the party occupying behind him, feeling a lot less tension from the environment.

He knocked the wooden screen door, knocking it, again and again, moments after no one answered. By the time Arne was on his fifth set of knocks, Dora figured it was her time to step in,

"Arne…" Dora softly called.

Still having his back turned from the entire group, he tried to emotionally pull himself together.

"Um," Ada cleared her throat, "We're gonna take a walk and see if we can find anyone…"

Dora nodded, giving her daughter an affirmative for her quick thinking, yet she made sure to warn them not to go too far. They may have seemed safe and sound, but the truth had yet to be discovered. And it was unwise to go looking for it.

Carlos stuck with Jolyn as they ventured over more of the property. Walking beyond the entrance, they wandered down another set of stairs to the right of the lake house. It led them to a patio that extended out to a pier with a little rowboat tied to it. No one seemed to be there.

Merwyn, Ada, and Emberly strolled back to the main road. Ada walked ahead, feeling most protected by the screwdriver concealed in her back pocket. Following close by was Emberly and Merwyn, who was having an innocent conversation amongst themselves, however, they both bumped into Ada once she suddenly stopped walking. The remaining two looked up, seeing a young, gawky boy with a fishing rod in his hand. He became transfixed with their presence until he regained the ability to speak,

"Mom!" The boy screamed, "Come! Quick!"

A woman ran out from the cabin and panicked the moment she saw the three strangers having a stare-off with her son. Running in front of him, she kept him close behind her,

"Get the gun. Load it just like I taught you and bring it to me," she whispered without removing her glower,

Ada opened her mouth, but before she could find her words, the young boy was already fetching his mother's weapon,

"Please…" Ada raised her arms high in the air, prompting Merwyn to do the same.

Returning out of the house, the shaggy-haired kid passed the handgun to his mother and hid close behind her. Emberly did the same by remaining hidden, keeping her clammy hands close together,

"I won't kill you, but only if you don't give me a reason to," the woman shivered with an ebbing voice.

"We're just looking for someone," Merwyn interjected. Very cautiously, he inched closer. He hoped that a willowy stranger wouldn't have it in her to pull the trigger around Emberly, seeing that she also had a young child, "We don't mean any harm. We're just helping a friend look for someone..."

"Don't. Move. Any. Closer…" the woman demanded through clenched teeth.

With Merwyn now out of his way. The young boy made out certain details of the other girl on the opposite side of the feud. The more he examined her, the faster he began to recognize her familiar attire: A black t-shirt with a Batman emblem and straight jeans with a rip just below the left knee. It could be mere coincidence, but to have a tear in the same spot was something he felt the need to point out,

"Mom…" the young boy tugged on the back of her shirt.

"I said don't move!" She shouted at Merwyn once again. This time she arranged to pull the trigger.

"Mom!"

"What, Hunter?!" she snapped, briefly removing her eyes from her targets.

Emberly immediately reacted to the call of Hunter's name, tapping Ada's shoulder and asking if she caught on.

"That girl. She's wearing my clothes."

"Don't be ridiculous," she asserted.

"Hunter? Is that your name?" Ada forced an uneasy grin.

Hunter acknowledged,

"Unh-uh," she aimed at Ada, "Don't speak to my son!"

Ada carefully engaged with the young boy. She hoped to demonstrate that she wasn't here to make enemies, but rather to solve an issue that could benefit the both of them. Something that could change their lives forever and hopefully take them far,

"Do you recognize these clothes?"

Hunter looked up at his mother, attempting to peek out from behind her back. He was a tall boy, nearly up to her shoulder.

"There's a hole in the back pocket…" he claimed.

Ada freely moved aside and turned Emberly around, revealing the hole just as he said. The woman looked up, completely shocked by her son's accuracy. However, it wasn't enough to convince her that they were on her team. As everything should, it made her expect the worst. She threw accusations such as thieves who broke into her home and figured out the address of the lake house somewhere, admitting that it was written in the back of an old photograph in her bedroom—a photograph no one had known about until now.

"Is your name Penelope…?" Merwyn asked, still having his hands up.

"Miss, we don't want to hurt you," Emberly blurted before running back behind Ada.

"We traveled here with your husband," Ada paused, proceeding to correct her goof, "Ex-husband."

The woman began to become choked up, unable to utilize her sharp tongue like she did during their encounter. Something inside of her wanted to believe them—it did. She was just so embarrassed to ever be brought to this point. Never in a million years did she picture having a gun pointed at a young child. But she and her son had been through so much that she didn't know what to trust. What if they were one of those monsters out there? What if they could confuse you and make you think they were people again? She had seen the impossible, so she didn't know what to believe.

"You know my dad?!" Hunter exclaimed happily.

"He's in the New York National Guard. He has red hair, green eyes..." Ada went on to describe him, knowing literally nothing else she could do to prove her honesty with her, "Right, Penelope?"

"Then where is he?" Penelope restlessly aimed her gun between the three of them.

"We'll get him for you…"

"No!" Penelope demanded, "Just you. The girl stays here," she moved the gun over to Merwyn, "And so do you."

As difficult as it was for Ada to leave Emberly with a woman who had a gun aimed at her, Ada could tell by the look in Penelope's eyes that this was the only way. Having such a difficult leaving her cousin's side, Ada's hand slipped away from Emberly's and she dashed back down the path that led to the lake house. Reaching the lakehouse, she slid to a stop, seeing four of her remaining allies huddled around one another,

"ARNE!" all of their eyes looked up at her, alarmed by her hectic gestures, "There's a woman. I think she's your wife and she had a gun pointed at Emberly!"

"Wait, what?!" Dora shouted.

All of them spoke over one another as they all sprinted after her. Jolyn was eventually the first to emerge from the forest, seeing the distressed eyes of a mother look up at him. As a precaution, she shifted her gaze and pointed her gun at him. Jolyn's mind suddenly went into a delirium, getting flashbacks of the moment he was shot. Immediately, he backed away into the forest undetected.

Arne ran out into the open next, seeing two familiar faces he dreamt up many nights before. However, it was real this time. Arne's face became red from withheld emotion, whereas Penelope covered her mouth with her free hand.

"Oh my god…" her arm fell weakly to her side.

"DAD!" Hunter screamed with a smile.

She stretched her hand out towards Emberly, who was already on her feet. She was incredibly repentant. She apologized, having her words eventually die off into shaken weeps. As her eyes flooded with tears, Arne heavily gaited towards her. He was overcome, welcoming her and Hunter into his arms. She gave him a quick peck on the lips, resting both of their palms over Hunter's back to welcome him into their group hug. She may have been his ex-wife, but they were still two halves of a whole.

Although Dora and Ada were moved, they whispered Emberly's name, reminding her to stick close to them. Even if it seemed as though Penelope was incredibly regretful of her actions, it still made them feel slightly more relieved that she wasn't near the same gun.

As Arne, Penelope, and Hunter had their rendering reunion, there was something incredibly bittersweet about the entire situation considering that the Ada, Merwyn or Emberly could've been the ones killed if she didn't suspect they were telling the truth.

With Hunter now stitched to his father's side, they both walked towards the Chadwells as Penelope quietly followed. The eyes of Ada and Emberly were staring directly at her. Although Emberly still wasn't a victim in this situation, her body language gave away an obvious pushback that Penelope didn't favor, but knew she deserved. As Arne introduced every one of them, Penelope could tell that they were genuinely a kind-hearted family.

As Arne wrapped up introductions, he stopped, noticing that something very prominent was missing from this picture—someone.

"There's Merwyn and…" his eyes looked around, having Dora follow up with his.

"Where's Jolyn!?" Dora began worrying, causing everyone else to look around, "Jolyn!?"

Ada strayed away from the group, cupping her hands around her mouth,

"Jolyn!" She shouted loudest. Everyone else joined in, except for Penelope and Hunter, who felt that this was an unfortunate way to start off. Ada's voice began to crack and tremble, unable to shout as loud as she originally did, "J-JOLYN! JOLYN!"

Eventually, Dora and Ada's were the only ones with their backs turned to everyone else, looking into the unforeseeable depths of the trees and shrubbery. They were timing themselves to say it at the same time to liken their chances of being heard, but no one was responding. After some time, Ada weakly gave in. She rested her head on her mother's shoulder, realizing that as much as they called, Jolyn wasn't answering. Dora wrapped her arm around her daughter, attempting to comfort her.

After staring at the dirt beneath her shoes for far too long, Penelope looked up,

"Was that her son? I saw him run when I held up my gun…"

Arne sighed, walking off without giving a definite answer. He slowly snuck up behind the Chadwells and rested a hand on both of their shoulders, causing them to look over it.

"Hey…" Arne sighed, "Maybe he's back at the lakehouse. Let's check there first."

They all headed back to the lake house, but there was no sign of Jolyn. Penelope, to make amends, made everyone a nice cup of coffee, pumpkin spice tea, or hot chocolate—their choice. Dora stood alone outside by the awning, keeping her mid-aged eyes pinned on the forest that towered just outside the home. Hearing the door open behind her, she turned and saw Penelope carrying two hot cups of coffee,

"Hi…" Penelope smiled awkwardly.

Dora responded with a heavy smile and gladly accepted the java. After taking a steady sip, Dora rested the mug on the thick, wooden railing,

"Thank you…" she smiled more genuinely from the flavor.

"You're welcome…" Penelope nodded. There was a pause between the both of them. Penelope took a quick sip, thinking whether or not it was a great time to speak to a mother who was currently in mama bear mode. But she was already in far too deep. She had already unintentionally caused so much to happen. To return into the house, where her son was safe and sound, would be completely tone-deaf, "Look, I'm really sorry. About everything. I wasn't thinking when I had that gun pointed at your niece..."

Dora turned over to look at her. Although Dora found it difficult to accept her apology, she did it anyway for the sake of her being Arne's wife and for the sake of getting along. In the end, Dora didn't understand it. Dora wouldn't point a gun at a child even if the child were pointing one back.

But Penelope understood. She'd be standoffish towards someone who ever threatened her son too—the whole reason everything transpired the way it did was for the protection of Hunter in the first place.

"The look in his eyes when he saw my gun…" Penelope recollected, "It was like he saw one of those cannibals."

Dora took a deep breath before speaking. She straightened her stance, revealing a glimpse of her true demeanor. She spoke without removing her eyes from the trees dancing from the breezes that pet their peaks,

"Something happened to him back in New York City. And he hasn't spoken a word since."

"Oh…" Penelope swirled the last bit of coffee in her jug and chugged it as if it were a shot glass—something she would've preferred at the moment. Dora deeply into her own headspace, therefore, there wasn't much that could be talked about. Penelope stood up from the outdoor rocking chair and opened the door seconds before looking over at Dora again, "I've got some eggs and corn beef cooking on the stove just in case you're hungry. But if you need anything...just ask me."

Dora nodded and thanked her before turning her attention back on the trees like a soldier on look out. _Come on, Jolyn. Where are you_?

* * *

Jolyn regretted his idiotic decision to run head first into the woodlands. He couldn't recall much of what happened, but all he remembered was seeing a gun pointed at him and everything suddenly going blank. His brain went haywire. It was a feeling he hadn't experienced before, and he was scared to ever had to go through that again. He trudged through the forest, pushing past bushes and branches that would eventually get hooked to his garments. _Shit, where am I?_ He thought to himself. _Why the hell would you make such a stupid choice to run in the forest? You're lost now. No food. No water. No family._ He judged himself. He always did. But this voice was coming from somewhere else. The source of that voice was his true psyche, trying to make better sense of things. He felt like someone else in that moment, because this wasn't the person that Jolyn remembered himself as. The true Jolyn would've never put himself in the face of danger like this.

The teen thought he possessed the shrewdness to retrace his steps and stumble out from where he entered. But finding a way out was harder than wandering inside. He snaked through multiple trees, fooling himself by thinking he could tell them apart. In reality, they were all identical, roughly having any features that set them apart. Out of the frying pan and into the fire was what this situation turned out to be.

Through the uneasiness of his loud breaths, Jolyn could hear his name being called, but it sounded miles out. He fought to get his inner voice out, and he succeeded,

"MOM!" his voice pierced, hearing another voice right afterward. His eyes wandered around, unable to pinpoint the direction the calls were coming from, "MOM! ADA!"

Each time they shouted, he shouted. But he was positive that they weren't hearing him because they weren't responding with anything else. Drained from his screaming alone, Jolyn held on to a nearby tree to catch his breath. He began to quietly weep as he bent over and looked at the ground,

He softly whimpered before hearing the snapping of a twig. His head shot up and his dark brown orbs instantly searched around, again, unable to locate the source of any sound in the abyss of trees. As desperately as he needed to run, it couldn't outdo his needs to be with his family.

"Mom?" He mumbled "Ada?"

Hearing dirt and leaves crunching behind him, Jolyn turned to see a filthy reanimated trek lifelessly towards him. He screamed and backed away, dodging a grab from the corpse. Jolyn had one thing that no one could top him at, and that was speed. He ran and ran until the reanimated was far out of sight, but as he came to a halt. That's when he heard a random gunshot— _BANG!_ It echoed loudly, ultimately ringing his ears. Before his mind could become frenzied and allow him to take another step, a segment of bark was shot clean off the tree he was using as support. If it weren't for one of Jolyn's irregular movements, the bullet would've fatally gotten him. Instead, Jolyn continued running, blindly vanishing further into the forest.

With widened eyes that nearly looked like they were going to fall out of his head, Jolyn made one mistake and looked back, seeing three masked figures dashing after him: One black, one red, and one blue. All Jolyn could take notice of was the shotgun that the red-masked man was carrying. Facing forward, Jolyn made a quick cut through a tree, basically disappearing like Houdini before their eyes as he ran past a tree; giving the illusion that he didn't come out from the other side.

But as he mindlessly scrambled through the plantation of trees, he felt his foot get hooked on to a tree root and it instantly threw him forward. He extended his arm, partially breaking his fall as he landed, but he began to roll uncontrollably, grunting and yelping as he passed over sharp rocks on the way down. Once he landed, the last thing Jolyn could see was a reanimated stumbling towards him, but before it could lose its footing, it was shot through the side of the head, having a quarter of its skull shot off.

What started off as a tragic hyperventilation slowed down into fights for breath. He weakly tried to keep his eyes open, seeing the corpse's corpse roll down right beside him.

"Là bas!" A masculine voice said, "Le tirer!"

Another gunshot was heard, however, Jolyn had no energy left to get up and run. With his failed attempts to repress his eyes from shutting, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, instantly passing out.

* * *

Jolyn came to pretty quickly, having his eyes startled opened to light tremors accompanied by the loud slamming of car doors. Becoming alert relatively quick, his eyes examined his surroundings noticing that his body was laid out in the trunk of a pickup truck, and right beside him was a roll of rope,

"Est-ce qu'il respire?" Jolyn heard a distant voice, sounding similar as the one from the forest.

Another voice that sounded a lot more nasally than the other two it was talking with, began to travel closer to the car. Instantly, Jolyn noticed the stranger's hand grab hold of the edge of the trunk, causing Jolyn to tightened his eyes back shut. He turned his head to the side, hoping it would give a better semblance from the angle the stranger was peering in from,

"Oui, il respire. Que faisons-nous avec lui?" Jolyn overheard.

Although he couldn't understand a word, Jolyn took the chance and opened one eye. He looked to the corner of it, making out a pale looking man with narrow features, a broad forehead, and short, dark blonde bed hair. Just as he turned away to shout some more words at his friends, Jolyn took the chance to jump up and out of the trunk,

"O! Regardez! Regardez! Se retourner!" The two others began to shout frequently.

However, once he landed, he felt a sharp pain in his right ankle. Naturally limping, he didn't get very far until he ended up face planting into a plain of dirt and grass.

Surprised by the sounds of hysterical laughter, Jolyn turned his head over to see the two other Canadian-French men pointing and cackling at him. One, in particular, was mimicking his hops and pretending to fall to the ground. The blonde haired one looked at him, attempting to appear ruthless, but it became clear that he was holding back laughter. He turned red and turned his face away, feeling the least bit sorry for giving in to the ridicule.

Jolyn sat himself up and attempted to stand, looking directly at the young man to look back at him,

"Ça va?"

Jolyn could catch the question mark, but couldn't understand the language. The blonde haired man sized him up, looking a bit more serious this time. He whistled his two companions over, causing Jolyn to grow nervous from there impending approach,

"Est-ce que tu parles Français?" the blonde one spoke again.

Shortly afterward, he leaned into his companions. Jolyn examined the latter of them, at least trying to get an idea of what they were discussing. The second one had the oddest face out of the three of them, looking like the reiteration of a melted Van Gogh painting—or maybe Jolyn was just being too harsh. Generally, he had wavy brown hair, a very mundane face, and ears that fanned out from the sides of his head. The last one, however, possessed dark features—all but his peach skin. He had medium dark brown hair that was cut around his ears with a swoop to his fringe and dark brown, sleepy eyes. His jaw, as well as his cheekbones, were defined, giving him a square shaped face.

"Est-il stupide?" Said the blonde.

Out of all of the words Jolyn had heard from them, that last one could be easily translated. Jolyn bit his bottom lip and narrowed his sights on them. Talking may have been his least favorite thing to do at the moment, but getting away with it made him deeply reconsider it.

"No, I'm not. You're just an asshole" Jolyn scrutinized.

The laughing between the three of them stopped, and they exchanged glares with Jolyn and each other that confirmed Jolyn's comments did what it was intended to do...he just didn't want it to.

"Oh, really?" the blonde one suddenly said with a faint Canadian-French accent, "That's no way to talk to people who saved your sorry ass in those woods, now is it?"

Jolyn looked away with a pout, surprised by how quickly the tables turned.

"You don't sound Canadian..." The odd looking one expressed. Once they began to realize that Jolyn reverted back to being speechless, the same guy brought his hand up to Jolyn's face and snapped at him repeatedly. Thus causing Jolyn to turn his face away even more. He removed his hand, "Garçon étrange..."

"Alright. How about we...introduce ourselves, yeah?" the last one finally started, having the sharpest Canadian sounding English out of all of them. He stuck out the most, therefore, Jolyn would easily glance at him even when he tried not to. Speaking in a calm yet alluringly brittle tone. He gestured to himself, "I am Felix, and these are my brothers," he motioned to the plain brother, "That's Mathieu," and then to the Blonde one, "and that's Noel. What's your name?"

Jolyn moved his lips to the side.

"Bon sang! Speak!" Noel spat, "What's wrong with you?!"

Eventually, he stomped off in frustration, revealing a red mask partially tucked into his back pocket. Without skipping a beat, Mathieu followed, giving Jolyn his fair share of disgusted looks before walking off.

Feeling a lot less cornered around one brother who stood the same height, Jolyn released some withheld breaths, grunting and wincing as he fixed his back up against the trunk of the pickup truck. Felix looked at Jolyn's sprained ankle, realizing that it was probably getting worse with all the added pressure to it.

"We can't force you to speak if you don't want to, but all that's gonna do is keep you out here," Felix said, "So, let's try this again. My name is Felix and those two douchebags were my brothers Noel and Mathieu," he recapitulated. He chuckled, observing the smile that the New Yorker couldn't hold in from the brutal honesty that was basically his exact thoughts. He offered a handshake, "What's your name?"

It was difficult for Felix to hide his vexation as he stood with his hand out for far longer than he expected. Jolyn surely felt remorseful, but there was just a bunch of things going on inside of him that he just couldn't understand. Just as his two older brothers did, Felix became fed up and willingly joined them by calmly walking off.

Without the hassle of the brothers, Jolyn was able to resume being freethinking and observant. Remaining perched on the outskirts of the area, he took a good look at his surroundings and was ultimately able to conclude that he was on some type of farm. The plain was flat and patched with grass, therefore giving a mixed representation of warm and cool colors.

Jolyn couldn't remember since he had last been on a farm, but this farm, in particular, stretched out multiple acres. A wooden, copper-colored fence, with four rails, stretched out for yards. It surrounded the entire perimeter of the property. Beyond that was some more land that eventually crossed into the ominous forests that served as refuge for the dead. Across the street, which he wasn't too distant from Jolyn's whereabouts, had a compact and controlled cornfield. It reminded him a lot of the cornfields he saw in horror films. As big as New York City was, being a native of the big apple still had its cons, and it robbed people of the will fire to become educated on lifestyles that were far beyond the cityscapes. To Jolyn, the current setting felt far more comforting than the lake house, but obviously, it had something to do with what he last experienced there.

In the midst of his monitoring, he would hear roosters and chickens, clucking and doing their infamous calls. As his eyes continued to explore, he saw an old white house with dark grey roofing. It was about twenty-five yards out, and standing on the porch, he could see Felix looking right back at him. Its signature barn, along with pig pens and chicken coups were all within a walkable range from the home.

What was it like to live here? Jolyn wondered. And did the outbreak make it any different? The brothers were living comfortably from what it seemed.

Jolyn limped towards the wide gate that differentiated itself from the wooden fence surrounding the farm. On the ground were engraved tracks from the vehicles that undoubtedly drove in and out. He looked over the fence, seeing watching the old road that extended off into the horizon on one end, and into the forest on the other. He rested on the fence, contemplating on whether or not it would be ideal to leave, seeing that he wasn't being held against his will. He looked over his shoulder and noticed Felix eerily spectating his every move.

 _Maybe I'll just sleep out here, for now_ , Jolyn mentally told himself. Making the decision to say, he limped back to the pickup truck. He noticed a large, ashy grey shed that it was parked in the back of. Hoses of various colors were wrapped and hung on hangers on the side of the shed. Once he successfully ventured to the entrance, the first thing that stuck out like a sore thumb was its metallic padlock. He grimaced inaudibly swearing.

Still standing outside of his home, Felix scrutinized the stranger's every movement. With his hands in his pocket, he looked over as the screen door was pushed open. A woman with short platinum grey hair walked out, still wearing a nightgown. It was his mother, Ines. To anyone else, she seemed like a loving mother by the way she looked at her sons and did what was best for them, but she was a complicated woman, overridden with traditional beliefs.

"Iz that him?" She asked having a thicker accent than any of her sons. Felix nodded, "He can't stay out forever."

"Ignore the little shit," Noel cursed from behind the door, "He'll die of starvation and dehydration if the démons don't get to him first."

Ines shushed her son and rushed him back into the house while making her entrance, calling Felix in soon after for dinner. Before entering, Felix looked up and noticed a fat, swirling gray cloud in the sky. With his hands still in his pockets, he walked into the house and made sure to lock the door behind him.


	4. Episode 4 - Romance Language

Getting a decent night's rest was possible up until it started pouring. Jolyn sat in the hind of the pickup truck, hunched up in a fetal position. The summer nights in Quebec were different from New York. The weather dropped to chilling temperatures during the night. Even an average summer day was lenient during the day—the night rain just happened to make it worse. He was drenched from head to toe, shivering ceaselessly. His thin physique could be an asset at times, but it wasn't helping out for something like this. Barely able to preserve any warmth, Jolyn felt like his joints were chilled to the core. Every hair and goose pimple were raised on every inch of his body. Yet, his body's natural reaction to gain some warmth was ultimately a failure.

Raising his head from his arms, Jolyn watched a few of the lights coming from the family home of the Frenchmen. Power was something he hadn't experienced in a quite a while and, frankly, he missed it. Looking closely, he made out a figure walking back and forth through one of the bedroom windows. Soon afterward, the light in the very room went out. One by one, all of the lights in the house began to go off over time. Jolyn carefully climbed out of the pickup truck and quickly limped towards the house after picking himself up from the ground. He hastily shambled, trying to outrun the thunderstorm. However, once he reached the house, his eyes wandered from window to window, noticing that every single light in the house was off.

 _What now?_

Jolyn looked over at the noticeable barn. From what he could remember before it started raining, the barn was where the French-Canadian family had worked together at herding their goats, cows, and other animals. In hindsight, if Jolyn had been a lot less repellent, maybe he would've been offered some food, much less warned about the incoming storm. One could always smell the pungent smell of a thunderstorm, but Jolyn foolishly thought nothing of it. His mind was elsewhere and he was too preoccupied with getting back with his family.

Jolyn slogged towards the barnyard after noticing that one of the massive doors to the barn was left ajar. After creeping through to the inside, he pinched his nose from the overpowering whiff of animals. He coughed and fanned his face multiple times with his thin shaky hands. However, it was dark, and Jolyn couldn't make his way around. The more he carefully tiptoed with his arms outreached, he walked head-first into a wooden beam and heard the bleating of a surprised goat.

"Shit!" he cursed, pressing his fingers on the ridge of his eyebrow.

All he could really make out were shadows that connected and led to god knows where. He carefully extended his limp leg, feeling around for matter that could potentially harm him. Once he discovered a clear spot, he made himself comfortable by sitting in that exact spot. He rested his head back on a flat wooden surface, only to have a wet muzzle tickle and sniff his ear. Initially jumping, Jolyn heard the soft snorts of a pig. _Harmless animals_ , he presumed.

He extended out his leg, knocking over a rather hollow bucket. Quickly reaching forward to pause the noise, Jolyn's hands happened to feel over the matter that spilled out of it. Jolyn senses and rummaged through it, combing his fingers through what felt like a grainy substance. Grabbing a handful, Jolyn tediously retraced his steps and walked back to the opening of the barn. Holding out his hand, Jolyn waited for the exact moment for some lightning. The bright flashes revealed dry food in the shape of pellets. He brought his palm close to his face and sniffed it, thinking long and hard before digging through it with his fingers once again. Without even thinking—because that's what this required—Jolyn tossed a handful in his mouth. After giving one or two chews, Jolyn immediately reacted by retching. He spat it out, giving violent coughs and wiping the grainy remains from his lips.

Endlessly blowing raspberries, he bitterly returned to his previous spot and rested his head back and took in a deep breath, having a slight quiver attached at the end. He daydreamt about his family as he stared into the darkness. He missed his mother and everyone back at the lakehouse. Even Arne, who became somewhat of a father-figure or older brother. But before Jolyn could even ponder on, he plunged into slumber plagued by horrors.

* * *

Jolyn became stirred by the sense of another's presence in the room—he never knew exactly what it was called, but upon that opening of his eyes, he saw a pair of legs standing right in front of him. Panicked, Jolyn fell to the side and hit his head on yet another wooden plank he could now identify as part of the stables,

"Morning," the familiar voice said. Jolyn looked up, making out Felix through his clearing vision. Jolyn fixed himself and sat back upright. Felix, who had two buckets of animal feed in each arm, examined Jolyn's dirty clothes. He was covered in dirt and now had straws of hay stuck to him, "You must be cold and hungry, huh?" Jolyn fixed his eyes on him as the young farmer carried the buckets around the barn and began to feed each group of the animals one by one, "Did you enjoy the pig feed last night?"

Jolyn looked away in embarrassment, declining yet another answer. From the looks of it, the dark-haired boy had reached his wit's end with the hushed one. Feeding his last animal, he took his empty buckets and walked towards the barn exit. Surprisingly becoming more sound with turning his back on defenseless Jolyn each and every time. As for Jolyn, he could see Felix's remarkable patience thinning. He fought to get the words out, ultimately exhausting his inner-demons,

"Jolyn…" his silvery voice escaped.

Felix turned back, almost perplexed by the sound he heard,

"What?"

"My name is Jolyn," he established.

Felix showed a welcoming smile,

"Come on, let me show you around."

Jolyn hesitantly got up and followed Felix out of the farm,

"So, Jolyn. Where are you from?" Felix interviewed.

"New York."

"New York?" Felix repeated in surprise, with an appealing smile, "I've always wanted to go there," he looked over, seeing that Jolyn wasn't being very talkative. If a sentence didn't happen to be a question, Jolyn wouldn't speak a word. Felix looked down, "Did the same thing happen over there?"

Jolyn nodded,

"It was too fast. So, we left."

"We? Who's we?"

"Oh," Jolyn became nervous. He realized how easy it was to give certain details away without even realizing it and decided right then and there that he had to be more careful, "My family. We met some guy from Canada so..."

Felix understood, but wanted to understand more, which was the reason behind the reluctance for his following question,

"Are they…"

Jolyn's eyes glanced up at him,

"Hm?" He searched Felix's face.

"Are they alive?" he said, thinking it sounded better than 'are they dead?'

"Sure," Jolyn insisted, "I got separated from them the same day you guys found me in that forest. The last thing I can remember was some lady pointing a gun at us. But I freaked out and ran and couldn't find my way back. But they found a place to stay. So, they're fine."

Felix stopped talking about it, deciding it would be best to get off the topic for a bit in case Jolyn ever felt obligated to keep answering with mortifying answers. They walked and walked until they reached the pump of a well. Jolyn was almost amazed by how set these people were. Living such an agricultural life was very beneficial and it made Jolyn wonder how many farmers were thriving and surviving while others were being torn apart in insufficient cities,

"How do you guys still have lights?"

"We..." Felix began using his strength to pump the water into his buckets, "Have a generator in the basement. We get water from the well..." he pumped nonstop, "And we get food from our livestock."

Once Felix finished pumping two buckets of water, he questioned Jolyn on the condition of his leg. He confirmed that his leg was still a bit painful, but had recovered fairly well since the previous day.

He hoped it wasn't too much to ask for, but an extra pair of hands was what was needed around the farm during times like this. With fewer people around, trading with other farmers became impossible, and livestock was shortening with the amount of natural food they had to eat since everything happened. Jolyn was given a bucket, and with the help of Felix, filled it up with water. Returning back to the barn, Felix and Jolyn noticed Noel walking down from the porch of their house.

"Toutes nos félicitations," Noel started, "You got the dumb to come out."

As much as Jolyn wanted to keep on a brave face, there was just something about the oldest brother that came across organically pugnacious. Ignoring his brother's insult and uninterested in bickering, he changed the topic,

"He's going to help around the farm and do what he can," Felix enlightened.

"He speaks?" Mathieu questioned in Felix's direction.

"...H-he does," Jolyn mumbled with difficulty. He was unable to bring his eyes up to their levels.

"It's about time," Noel jabbed, "What's your name?"

"Jolyn," the brown teen answered.

Felix certainly picked up on the shift in Jolyn's burgeoning charisma. So he did what he felt was best and interrupted the conversation, informing the brother that they would meet them inside of the home after they were done feeding the animals. Instead of returning to the house, they went ahead on their own to accomplish something separate. With Jolyn's companionship, Felix had avoided a second trip to the well pump and managed to refill all of the animal's trays in one go.

The moment that they had all been waiting for finally arrived: Jolyn was being introduced to the Leroux household. Felix did much coaxing for Jolyn to enter the home. Like plenty of the houses he had seen in Canada so far, it was sizable and had a high rise ceiling,

"Wait here," Felix whispered before walking off.

Jolyn had no problem remaining in the same spot. Just from where he was standing, everything was already appealing to his eye. The house had a very classic mood to it. The walls further down had pictures of the brothers as younger children. It was slightly cool and Jolyn could smell the wonderful aroma of cooked breakfast. His mouth was watering just by the scent of it and he kept his composure through his speaking stomach,

Felix walked out of a room, exposing himself in the corridor where Jolyn stood. He followed him into a large living room that had two large sofas, a rocking chair, a fireplace, and a ceiling fan in the center of the room. On the far end of the room was an old tube television playing a black and white film,

"Morning, father," Felix started.

It wasn't until the chair had stopped rocking that Jolyn realized someone else was in the room with them. An older gentleman with a cigar in his mouth turned over and looked back at the both of them. He wore black overalls over a plaid green shirt. His hair was shaved short with a receding hairline and had a face consumed with stubble. He put out his cigar and examined Jolyn. He stood up from his chair, revealing a somewhat brawny stature suitable for someone his age. He had to at least be around his mid-fifties,

"Hello. And who might this young lad be," he sounded very hoarse, speaking great English as well.

"Hello," Jolyn nodded, "I'm Jolyn."

"Very nice name, Jolyn. I'm Augustus," he extended a hand, "Welcome to the Leroux family farm."

He grabbed his veined hands, surprised that Augustus' strength wasn't capable of crushing every bone in his flimsy hand to dust. However, it was a firm shake and Jolyn didn't want to be perceived as weak over something as rudimentary as a handshake. Just by one look at Augustus, you could tell he was someone who put hard work at the forefront of things. Soon after, Mathieu and Noel intruded, rightfully barging into their house in a manner that disrupted Jolyn's meeting,

"How old are you, Jolyn?" Augustus asked.

"Seventeen years old, sir," he replied, purposely adding _sir_ due to the militant feeling he got.

"You're a little thin, but I think Felix might have some old clothes that can fit you?" Felix nodded, once Augustus exchanged looks him, "After being in the barn all night, you should go on and get cleaned up first and then come down for breakfast."

Unable to answer, Jolyn followed Felix out of the room and back down the corridor, walking past an opening that led to the kitchen, here there a plump woman cooking over a stove. Once they reached the steps that wrapped along the sides of the wall, Jolyn was walked into Felix's bedroom, slightly surprised by its untidy state. The farmboy apologized for the mess and tossed Jolyn some clothes from the depths of his closet,

"How'd he know I was in the barn?" Jolyn pressed.

"Honestly? You smell like it."

Jolyn sniffed his shirt and instinctively let it snap back to his chest. He did smell pretty rough. It's just that his time in the barn managed to mask his own smell up until he walked in a fresh clean home. Felix's chosen clothes were made up of tapered brown jeans, a yellow and black flannel shirt, and a dark grey undershirt to go underneath. It didn't smell, but it had its own scent that was unique to Felix.

Jolyn hopped into the bathroom and took a quick relieving shower consisting of handmade soap and warm water. It was the best Jolyn had ever felt in a while, but to reserve some warm water for everyone else, he couldn't enjoy it for too long. He was even given a spare toothbrush and a personal towel. After he was finished, he walked out of the bathroom looking like a brand new person. Once Felix heard the door open, he looked out of his bedroom to check up on his new friend,

"You finish—" Felix froze.

"Yeah, I'm done," Jolyn answered, getting the gist of the message.

Felix would've given himself a pat on the back if he wasn't so worried about looking odd in front of the newcomer. Frankly, he felt that Jolyn did the attire more justice than he ever could. Considering that it was his least favorite thing to wear, he had a whole new outlook on it. He scanned Jolyn from head to toe, even more favorable of the moist hairs curling on his head,

"Uh…" Felix searched for words.

"Does it look nice?" Jolyn asked. He unbuttoned the shirt to reveal the shirt underneath and finally looked up with a contagious, pearly white smile, "I always like medium sized flannels. They fit better."

"Hm, yeah," Felix glanced away momentarily and gained a supple stance, "It looks really nice."

It was true what they said about feeling good—it usually happened when you looked good, and Jolyn felt an immense amount of that. He was brought to the kitchen and eventually introduced to Ines, the mother of the house. It all felt so bizarre for Jolyn having so many pairs of eyes on him like he was the new family stray. _Errand_ —stray in French. The brothers beat his own thoughts to it. As time went on, they gathered at the family table and said their prayers. It was lovely at first, but Ines was praying for Felix a little _too_ much. In Jolyn's mind, the two others were the ones who needed guidance the most; not Felix. After Ines finished her prayers, they dug into their plates; a delicious breakfast made up of runny eggs, golden hash browns, juicy bacon and a side of fresh squeezed orange juice—no pulp.

"Monsieur," Mrs. Leroux started, "Felix tells me you have family, oui?"

Jolyn nodded and rested his utensils, telling his story for about the third time today.

"I was separated from them, but that was before your sons found me in the woods. They saved my life."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Ines sympathized.

"It's okay. I'll be okay," Jolyn watched the thick syrup spread across his plate, "They're probably looking for me..."

"How do you even know if they're alive?" Noel purposely vocalized, picking his head up from his plate after taking a bite of bacon. He wanted to poke the timid teen, knowing that he held some sort of authority over him. Everyone's faces at the table turned to look at Noel, "I mean, I'm just being honest. There's no hope for someone who raised a bitch like you," Noel smirked devilishly.

"Noel!" Ines' mouth dropped, "bouche sâle!"

"Ignore him…" Felix said, almost as if he was used to this behavior.

Noel looked over at his father who wasn't laughing at his tasteless joke. The appearance on his face was threatening enough to knock the humor off Noel's face.

"How long do you plan on staying?" Augustus picked up.

"I-I…" Jolyn looked at the multiple eyes staring back at him, "I was just hoping I could stay until my ankle feels better. I-I mean I hurt it yesterday and its already feeling ten times better. I can help you guys work on the farm if you want? Felix told me you guys were running a little low on resources, so I'd really like to be of help," he tried convincing.

After a long pause, August commented,

"That isn't a bad idea."

Jolyn attempted to get comfortable as the rest of the day went on, but there was just something about the farmhouse he just couldn't shake. Thinking it was just the anxiety that clouded his mind, he shrugged it off and dismissed it as a personal issue—a problem from within. Jolyn was shown around the farm, from pig pens to the chicken coups, to the garden. He was a fast learner. And although they were somewhat forced to show him around, the only ones whose heart was truly in the tour was Felix. As friendly as he was, Jolyn found it difficult to become frustrated whenever he was around. For his first lesson, Jolyn was given an easy task, which was to help let the animals out of the barn and let them roam free until it was time to lock them up in their pens for the night.

Later that night, before everyone locked themselves in the house for the rest of the day, Jolyn stuck with the Leroux's just to study what the wrapping up of their day looked like. Since there was no sign of harsh weather, the animals were free to sleep outside. All, except for the chickens. The live poultry had to be put back into their coups or else they'd wander away at night and become the lunch of some other animal.

Once their work was done they all returned to the house. Jolyn, however, decided to sit on the porch for a minute to clear his mind. The sounds of the crickets were like music to his ears and were nothing compared to the motor rackets back in the city.

With his back turned to the entrance, Jolyn could hear the door opening. It was Felix,

"My mom washed your clothes. It's sitting on the bed. There was a couple of tears in your shirt, but she sewed them."

"Remind me to thank her," Jolyn laughed.

"What are you doing out here so late?" He asked.

"Just thinking," Jolyn said, looking out into the horizon.

"About your family?" Felix exited the house and sat beside him.

Jolyn nodded,

"Yeah."

"You'll see them again."

Jolyn pondered an extensive amount of time before speaking his next thoughts,

"Do you think...that maybe my family could come and live here? I mean, you guys wouldn't mind the extra help right?" Felix was unprepared for that kind of question and didn't think there was really an easy way to answer it. Jolyn could tell by his expressions that it was a definite no. He looked away, "You're right. I'm probably getting carried away…"

"No, Jolyn," Felix corrected, unintentionally resting his hand on Jolyn's knee. He pulled his hand away and scratched his ear, "Trust me. I'd be open to it...and I think my dad would be too…"

"So what's the problem?"

Felix took a relaxed breath,

"This family. It's not what it seems. My dad may seem like a great man on the outside, but you can't trust him."

Jolyn wrinkled his nose in bewilderment,

"Why not?"

"You don't know him like I do. You seem like a really nice guy, but as soon as your ankle heals, you need to find your family and go."

Before Jolyn could ask the next question, a large humanoid shadow was cast onto the porch from inside of the lit house. Both turned around, seeing Augustus. It was time to lock up for the night because he was scared that the démons would come out at night.

While everyone else went into their bedrooms, Augustus took it upon himself to guide Jolyn upstairs and show him the spare room he would be sleeping in for the night. Jolyn thanked Augustus on his departure, making it evident that he was grateful to have a place to sleep. Frankly, he was exhausted and a good night's rest was rarely to come by than any reanimated out there.

* * *

It had been a week by now. A week, and it was all Jolyn needed to recover from a sprained ankle. To the others, it proved that Jolyn was a very healthy kid with a very good immune system and/or very good genetics. It was something he took pride in. As for his gunshot wound, something crucial he later informed the Leroux's about, was showing progress as well. He was restricted from strenuous tasks like holding heavy objects for far too long or reaching high levels. All because it would irritate his side. He was tended to endlessly by Ines, who was appalled when she was told about the incident that happened back in New York City. Because of her by-the-book medical care, there wasn't a night Jolyn went to bed without a new patch of gauze.

Despite being on their version of medical leave, the farm was a tad more than what Jolyn bargained for. Instead of laying around most of the time, he pulled his own weight and added his contribution to the farm. He felt it was the least he could do after the hospitality the Leroux's show him—Ines, Augustus, and Felix for the most part. Noel and Mathieu had made it very clear that they weren't going to be getting along with the New Yorker and had no intention to. If they ever spoke, it was only because they _had_ to.

During the first four days of his stay, Jolyn learned a lot about what it took to live on a farm. He would wake up early in the mornings to help feed the animals, he would help hose down the hogs after they had lengthy mud baths in the sun, he would fetch eggs from the chicken coop despite being bitten by them, and he'd help pick the very few vegetables and fruits from the garden. In regards to anything non-work related—just good ol' fun—Jolyn would spend a lot of social time with the family. Successfully feeling as if he were one of their own. He watched French films with English subtitles, laughed over family dinners, and learned how to play chess. Mathieu, known as the chess prodigy of the household, showed Jolyn no mercy and would often take pleasure out of kicking an amateur's ass.

He had lost track of the time since leaving New York, so he was unaware of what day of the week it was. Yet, he had been keeping check with how many days he had been with the Lerouxs. Now, it was seven. And he felt that he had overstayed his welcome. He was now so accustomed to waking up at seven in the morning, that he no longer needed any of the Leroux brothers to be his personalized alarm. He pulled the blanket off from his legs and looked at his bandaged ankle. He slowly rotated his joint, feeling only a pinch of pain that would no doubt be gone within the next day or two. With that being said, tonight would probably his last night with the Leroux's.

It was around the evening. With a grasp on things, they had finished picking their garden clean quite early. Because of that, they were each given full glasses of lemonade. All four boys sat at the small table shoved in the corner of the kitchen. Augustus entered the kitchen, held the pitcher, and poured a glass for himself,

"You guys did a very good job today," he complimented. He took four long gulps and rested the cup by the sink, "Are you guys feeling some popcorn tonight?"

They all smiled at one another. Making it even more of an anomaly was Noel's grin.

"Sounds good," Jolyn added.

"Good. You guys deserved it."

Ines put a hand on her hip, giving off a body language that differed from everyone else. She pulled the hand towel from her shoulder and threw it on the counter,

"Augustus, you know how I feel about the boys going in the garden," cutely pronouncing 'the' as 'zee'.

"Oi, mama!" Mathieu kissed his teeth, "We will be fine! We are grown men."

"I don't know…" she pondered.

"Don't you want some délicieux popcorn, mom?" Felix added.

Ines eventually gave in and allowed them all to quickly fetch the corn before it got dark. Following the siblings, Jolyn got out of his chair but was halted by Ines. She was suggesting that they let the boy's take care of it since they were used to picking corn, but Augustus insisted that it would be a great learning experience. Hoping to not betray her trust and hospitality, the twin agreed, vitally mentioning that an extra pair of hands would be better.

Jolyn pushed his way past the flimsy screen door and caught up with the brothers who were already racing halfway across the field. With the ashy grey shed being closest to the yard exit, Noel whipped out a key from his pocket and unlocked the cabin, revealing a tool shed. He vanished inside for a short time, returning with a green, single-wheeled wheelbarrow. Mathieu went ahead and unlocked the fence that led off the farm property and crossed into the cornfield on the other side of the lane,

"Why not just keep a cornfield inside the farm?" Jolyn wondered.

"Our grandfather wanted to start a corn farm. Run a business with it. He died before he got too far with it," Noel answered, surprisingly showing no sign of hostility. They should make popcorn more often, "Father wanted to pick up where he left off, but this unexplainable shit started happening."

"The démons came…" Mathieu muttered.

"So, you haven't had this farm for that long, then?"

"We'd visit the farm from time to time, but when grandpa started getting ill we had to take over. Mama promised him. We've only been on the farm for ten months," Mathieu enlightened.

"Enough talking," Noel silenced, "Get the corn."

Noel wheeled the wheelbarrow into the street and let it sit on the very edge of the field before just barely vanishing into the tall crops. The corn stood about seven to eight feet and evenly took up about a half a mile on all sides. Of course, Felix and Jolyn went their separate way to give the foreigner a little Corn 101. Felix easily pushed through the wispy fields as Jolyn followed. As expected, Jolyn didn't know as much as he thought he knew about corn. He had seen a couple of online videos here and there but was astounded to learn that there were different types of corn: The type of corn that everyone was used to eating was either field corn or sweet corn. For popcorn, there was popcorn on a cob. Which was corn that was a deep honey-like color. Instead of being covered in juicy, plump kernels, popcorn on a cob was covered in dry kernels that had to be heated and popped.

Grabbing a little of both, the boys filled the wheelbarrow with a good amount of corn that they could preserve for dinner. Due to their fear of crossing into the field, the family hadn't enjoyed themselves some corn in a good while. Mathieu guided the wheelbarrowed back across the street and wheeled it back to the house.

"I have an idea for a fun game," Felix said, backing up into the corn, "Try and find me."

Jolyn chuckled,

"Are you serious right now?"

"Try and find me!" he yelled from further inside.

Jolyn crept into the field following the sounds of Felix's voice. Spending about two minutes or so, camping in the same spot, Felix was surprised from behind. What started off as an actual scream turned into hysterical laughter, having his face wrinkle up along with q goofy smile. Jolyn dashed through the fields, finding it a lot easier to maneuver through without making too much noise. For a beginner, Jolyn was extremely good at this game and had remained hidden for about five minutes straight, but only because he had broken the rules—he wasn't making any sound. Felix walked out of the cornfield and stood in the street,

"Alright, Jolyn. You win," he said breathlessly.

"You didn't even try!" He heard the chestless voice.

Felix turned and saw Noel, who suspiciously eyed the both of them, returning to the house.

"Come on, Jolyn. It's getting dark we can go in now."

"Alright fine, I'm coming…"

Felix's cheerful eyes searched around until the sound of ruffling leaves and plants became clearer and clearer. He planned on giving Jolyn a scare just as he was coming out,

"It's about time…" he started.

Out of the towering crops came a monster; a reanimated he never hoped to see as close as this one. As they did best, the reanimated fumbled on top of him. Felix began yelling, bawling for some kind of help. Jolyn, who was already on his way through the front, began running towards the screams and walked out of the assemblage of maize. A look of angst appeared on Jolyn's face, freezing for a split second before thinking as quickly as he did,

"SHIT!" Jolyn screamed, dashing into the farm, "REANIMATED! DÉMON!" he shouted repeatedly to alert the brothers. Quickly, Jolyn went into the tool shed and grabbed the deadliest item he could find: A pitchfork. Just as he was exiting, his eye's caught Mathieu and Noel both sprinting towards them. They both began screaming Felix's name, letting their little brother know that they were on their way to help.

Quick on his feet, Jolyn drifted towards the conflict and helped overpower the reanimated. Along with the help of Jolyn, Felix was now partially pinning the cadaver to the pavement. For his own sake, Felix was able to scramble away from it, whereas Jolyn stomped his foot on the chest of the rotting vessel. Preventing it from sitting back up, Jolyn held the pitchfork and gave an effective thrust. The four prongs impaled the reanimated through its face and exited the back of its skull. Its lifeless head slapped onto the pavement and a pool of black-red blood zigzagged through the cracks in the road.

As Noel and Mathieu served as an audience on the side, he removed the pitchfork from the reanimated, having its head lift with it until it was fully free.

Felix quickly stood up and walked beside him, looking down at the monster he felt he might've recognized,

"Thank you…"

"Yeah…" Jolyn wiped his forehead in exhaustion. He looked over at the two older brothers, who were studying Jolyn back.

"I could've just shot it…" Mathieu said, presenting the shotgun.

Jolyn looked away from the firearm and shook his head,

"I got it."

"Hey," Noel called from across the road. Jolyn looked up, squinted his eyes from the bright flares of the setting sun. Noel nodded, "Good job."

Because bites weren't usually felt in the heat of the moment, and because they were permitted to do so if such an encounter ever happened to one of them, the two older siblings searched their brother and Jolyn for bites. Even if he didn't have much skin exposed other than his hands and his face, you could just never be too sure anymore. After they approved that he was clean of any bites, Felix was sent back into the house. Mathieu fetched another wheelbarrow, a black one, stating that it was only used for the carcasses of other farm animals. Mathieu offered Jolyn the shotgun,

"Hold this."

Jolyn took a misstep and roughly bumped his bony shoulder into Noel's chest,

"Oi!" he winced in return. He shoved the frightened boy, "What's wrong with you? You scared of guns?"

Jolyn took a minute to answer,

"I-I don't like them."

"Do you want to hold the gun or help lift the démon?"

What would normally take seconds for anyone else was a little lingering for Jolyn. Having the shotgun offered to him once again, Jolyn was left with no choice. He gulped as he reached for the gun. Mathieu, perceiving the New Yorker's reaction, surprised the shotgun at him one last time. Jolyn jumped, causing the brothers to snicker at him. Finally taking hold of it, the brothers proceeded to lift the reanimated into the wheelbarrow so they could dump its remains.

* * *

Needless to say, but the reanimated ruined everyone's night. After the report got out, Ines was so fixed on the situation she barely remembered the popcorn. It caused tension and frustration between Ines and Augustus, despite Felix being alive and breathing. The stress went on for the entire night, which brought out an aggressiveness in Mr. Leroux that Jolyn had never seen in all of his days there. He would pound tables and accidentally break things. It was terrifying.

To stay out of it like the rest of the children, Jolyn returned to the bedroom where he was sleeping as a guest. It sounded buzzkill, but Jolyn was too tired to handle a movie that night anyway. Rest was all he wanted. He closed the door and instantly removed the same clothing that Felix had lent him on his first day—alternating between three undershirts as the days passed. In nothing but an undershirt and some navy colored boxer briefs he had recently hand-rinsed, something barged into his room.

Jolyn wailed before grabbing the flannel shirt and quickly tying it around his waist to hide his undergarment. Turning, he realized that it was Felix, shushing and reassuring him that it was a harmless scare. He was shirtless, wearing nothing but basketball shorts and exposing a hairy chest and v-cut.

"Uh," Jolyn playfully gagged, "What are you doing in here?"

"I just...wanted to give you a bit of history lesson."

Jolyn's wide eyes mysteriously scanned the room before answering,

"Why?"

"Because it's late _and_ I'm not tired," he simplified. Before Jolyn could speak another word, Felix dramatically pointed towards the ceiling fan, holding back laughter, "As you already know, this farm belonged to my grandmother _and_ grandfather. Pépère and Mémère. But! This room actually belonged to them as well."

"Oh, cool," the half dressed boy said stiffly. After a pause of awkward glances, he forced a smile, "Is that it?"

Felix walked towards a dresser beside the bed and retrieved an old picture frame with a hair-raising picture of a young man and woman. It was a black and white photograph and taken in the early 1900's,

"This is them. And they died on this...very...bed," he took a step with each pause and ended up inches away from Jolyn's face. Their breaths tingled one another's lips. After realizing how invading he might have been, Felix took a step away, putting the photograph back where it belonged, "Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Jolyn cleared his throat,

"Uh...no. It-it's fine. You definitely did the job at creeping me out so…" he shrugged, "Mission accomplished."

Felix ran his hands through his hair and displayed some jittery antics that Jolyn couldn't help but subtly raise a brow at. Out of all of the days he had been in here, Jolyn had never seen Felix act so unusual. He headed towards the bedroom door and turned back around in second thought,

"How's your leg feeling?" Felix brought a hand to his chin.

"It feels a lot better now," Jolyn smiled with his lips tight together.

Removing the shirt from his thighs, he sat on the bed, brought up his leg and rubbed just above his bare foot. Felix remained by the doorway and stared at Jolyn for a minute or two before looking away. After Jolyn gave him a strange peep, he looked up at him,

"You should probably get to bed then," he stammered, "I mean, unless you're tired...? Are you?"

"Yeah..." Jolyn smiled through a dubious gaze, "A little."

Felix reached for the doorknob and abruptly made an about-face once again,

"Oh!" he briefly rested his palm unto his forehead, "I just...really wanted to thank you for what you did today."

"Aha, don't mention it. You would've done the same for me, I'm sure."

"You sure about that?" Felix joked, "If there's anything you need, just let me know."

"I...like...need you to get out so I can get some sleep," Jolyn teased. He got up and opened the door, attempting to escort him out.

"Oh really?" Felix bobbed his head with a pretend scowl, "So that's how we're playing? After all I've done for you?"

Felix shut the door and put Jolyn in a headlock.

"Okay! Ow! Ow! Ow!" Jolyn whined a bit through fluttering laughs.

Felix quickly walked with him to the bed and playfully hauled Jolyn on top of it, having Jolyn's legs dangle over the edge. He threw himself over Jolyn's chest and hooked his forearm underneath Jolyn's thigh and attempted to lift it and pin him down just like how it was done on the wrestling shows he'd watch back when they had cable. All that was missing was a referee.

Suddenly...

"Agh! My side! My side!" Jolyn yelped in pain.

Frightened, Felix released it with a smile infused with shock. While still resting on the bed, he quickly picked himself up, having Jolyn's head between both of his palms that were sinking into the mattress. After Jolyn's faked pain recovered in a flash, Felix caught on and laughed.

Almost as if it were planned, Felix took it as the opportunity to have a heart to heart,

"...Man, it's gonna suck when you leave," Felix admitted. He possessed a soft sensual look in his eyes. His face felt hot, and his cheeks and ears flushed pink.

Jolyn grew strangely comfortable. Yet it was unanticipated at the same time—at least for him. He brought up an arm and rested a palm underneath his own head,

"What makes you say that?"

"You're the coolest person I've ever met. And...you just don't get to meet many people like you."

"People who don't talk for days and sleep in barns?" Jolyn chuckled.

Felix joined in on the laughter, but as it eventually died back down, his fingers slowly crawled towards Jolyn's curls and began to stroke through it. Knowing that one action could possibly lead to another, it took a moment or so for them to actually understand that they were on the same page. So up until Jolyn wrapped his hand around Felix's wrist, the farm boy was more than willing to follow his cue. He slowly leaned in and softly kissed the side of Jolyn's face. Landing his moist mark underneath Jolyn's blushing cheek, Jolyn could feel Felix's nose tickle the corner of his eye. Without lifting his lips, Felix migrated down to his neck and then the chin, giving plush kisses accompanied by some aroused breaths. Before he could move on to his most craved spot, Felix pulled himself away, allowing Jolyn to peek through one eye. He sat up and immediately fixed his posture,

"Sorry," Felix apologized with a nervous laugh.

"It's fine," Jolyn nodded, looking away awkwardly.

"We'll talk again," he shook his head in bewilderment, "Tomorrow. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Tomorrow it is," Jolyn thumbed up.

"Tomorrow," Felix gave two thumbs up,

"To-Morrow," Jolyn repeated, rolling the 'r'.

"Demain," was French.

"Mañana," Jolyn recalled Spanish class.

Felix looked on impressed.

"Tomorrow, tomorrow."

"Okay. Calm down, Annie."

Felix snorted hysterically, trying to contain his laughter and avoid waking everyone else. This caused Jolyn to be the furthest from humble and smile at his own joke and literally pat himself on the back for it. Thanks to their like-minded humor, there was no awkwardness in the world strong enough to hamper their friendship. Felix turned, revealing black and blue bruises on his back from earlier that day. He wished Jolyn a good night before exiting the bedroom and closing the door behind him. Jolyn took a deep breath and threw himself back onto the bed. What the _hell_ just happened? He had no idea he would've enjoyed that.


	5. Episode 5 - La Ferme

For the first time in many nights, Jolyn was sleeping wonderfully due to a dream of himself and his family and friends back home. Suddenly, he felt his surroundings and body shake uncontrollably. His friends, who were completely unfazed by the heavy rumbling of their environment, continued to obliviously carry on with whatever they were doing as they become more and more out of reach. Suddenly a voice became clearer and clearer, fading his dream to blackness like the ending of a movie,

"Jolyn! Jolyn! Get up quick!" A voice said.

Peeking through one sleepy eye Jolyn turned over to see Augustus standing over his bed unattractive blue pajamas,

"Hmm?" Jolyn murmured. After making out the distraught look in Augustus' eyes, Jolyn knew right away that something was amiss, "What's wrong?"

"Démons! They're on the farm!"

"Huh…?" Jolyn fought to sit himself up as Augustus walked away, "What do you mean?"

By that point, Augustus shot out of his parent's bedroom to summon the rest of his sons. Jolyn got up and looked outside of the bedroom window, shocked after noticing the reanimated in the yard. One currently chasing around one of the goats. As his eyes subsided and fought to get used to the cloudy skies, they wandered around and counted five half-eaten carcasses—all which were formerly livestock. With his sleepiness now weaned off, Jolyn quickly threw on some clothes, shoes, and bolted out of the bedroom at the exact same moment as the brothers, with Felix being the last to follow as he fought to get his arm through the sleeves of his shirt.

Downstairs, Ines stood overwrought by the screen door as the triumphant-like fiends teetered throughout the farm grounds. She turned in surprise after hearing multiple footsteps dancing down the stairs. She noticed the boys follow one another like a swat team. She shouted for them to be careful as they soared past her and through the entrance.

Noel was the first to emerge from the house, leaping off the porch and immediately sprinting through the property to grab his shotgun from the barn to the left of the house. Mathieu, Jolyn, and Felix performed the same action, however, Mathieu and Jolyn headed in different directions. Already being armed with a pocket knife, Mathieu was the first to nosedive into the action. He chased a reanimated that had one of the younger goats cornered, and just as the monster was weakly falling to its knees to take a mouthful, Mathieu punted it from the side. It lousily fell to the ground, snarling with delayed actions to pick itself up. With the flick of a button, the knife of his switchblade swiftly pivoted out from the handle. Mathieu knelt down and pinned the reanimated by the throat and plunged the blade into the back of its head. After effortlessly pulling it out, he looked around at the others.

Jolyn grabbed the pitchfork that he left resting on the porch from yesterday. He held it parallel with the ground and immediately began dashing to one of the reanimated feasting, on what used to be, notably, one of the fattest pigs on the farm. Jolyn slowed as he approached his enemy, unprepared to witness the nauseating scene. As he neared the rabid glutton, he jammed the spines through the side of its distracted head. Its dangling body tugged on the fork just before Jolyn could yank it out and allow the dead undead to fall beside its subject. Jolyn's stomach turned at the gruesome butchery. What used to be a pig was currently a pinkish-red blob lying in the grass. Jolyn turned away, surprised to have his attention grabbed by another reanimated he hadn't noticed. It was attempting to reach over one of the fences made to keep some of the animals in. Sneaking up from behind, Jolyn thrust the fork overhead and instantly conquered his second kill. It fell over, folding over the brim of the fence.

Noel and Felix both entered the barnyard in a frenzy, searching for their weapon of interest. They both ran towards the shotgun leaning on one of the columns towards the back, but Noel decisively shoved Felix out of the way and grabbed it for himself,

"Connard!' Felix swore, dusting himself off as he stood.

Noel unapologetically looked at his brother for a split second before making sure the gun was loaded and instantly emerged from the barn with Felix following. Running out of the barn, he jogged towards the opposite direction of his home, seeing a hungry reanimated making its way towards him. It stretched out his heads, missing two or three fingers. It made its signature, yet incomplete, snarl once Noel blew its brains out with a single blast. The sheer force caused the reanimated to twist and jolt backward. Walking over the remains, Noel and Felix headed towards the last reanimated that was feasting over a recent kill. As Noel pumped the shotgun, ridding it of the empty shell, the reanimated's attention was grabbed. Before it could make it to one knee, Noel shot it within close range, splattering fragments of its face all over the irregular lawn. That was the last of them.

Noel lowered the shotgun and let out a huge breath as if he were holding his breath from start to finish. Felix walked past his older sibling and knelt beside the reanimated, seeing that the animal being feasted on was their caramel, pregnant cow—Bella.

Bella was wide-eyed and giving short breaths. Her eyes searched around, kicking to try and get up. But she was growing weakened as she bled out and suffered. Felix rested his hand on Bella's neck, who didn't fret with Felix's contact one bit. He empathetically felt like she wanted it. Teary-eyed, he looked back at Noel,

"She's not gonna make it."

Mathieu and Jolyn ran towards the rest of the boys after making sure that the property was clear and that everything surrounding the farm was intact. As their eyes laid on Bella, Mathieu was clearly more shocked than Jolyn because he knew what this loss meant. Mathieu took his cap off and hurled it at the ground, shouting French swears in frustration as he paced back and forth,

"Noel...she's dying," Jolyn implied.

"I know that!" Noel screamed, "J-just let me think."

Felix stood up and walked towards Noel. He rested his hand on the shotgun, but Noel aggressively pressed it back onto his own chest. As badly as Felix felt the need to punch his brother, he forgave his anger, considering what they had just gone through and how this could affect them,

"Come on, Jolyn," Felix called.

With his hands in his back pockets, Jolyn looked back at Noel, who was already glowering in his direction,

"You heard him. Leave," he rushed, "I'll take care of it."

Getting a deep sense that Noel actually didn't want to be left alone at a time like this, Jolyn felt that it was best to follow the other two Leroux brothers anyway. He took a couple steps back before turning around and following Felix.

After they disappeared, Noel looked back at Bella, who was fighting to live through shortened breaths. Her moans were heavy and clear with agony. Pumping the shotgun one final time, he carefully aimed it towards Bella's face and pulled the trigger. Cursing to himself he walked off to join the rest of the family in the house.

Moments later, Augustus and Ines were both outside the house, looking at Bella's corpse. As the boys could obverse from inside the house, he was hanging his head with disappointment beyond words. After a few gestures, he could be seen turning on his heel and walking back towards the house,

"Shit! Vite! Vite! He's coming," Mathieu warned.

Due to the unknown cause of their response, Jolyn's actions were postponed as the Leroux boys circled all around him and dashed over into the next room. He was the last to rush out of the study and walk into the living room. Very carefully, he casually sat on the couch, prompting the others to laugh at him. Once the screen door was heard opening and swinging shut, they all shut their traps. Noel reached for a book on a nearby dresser, Mathieu tossed his head back and pretended he was asleep, and Felix reached for a deck of cards. Jolyn watched each of them, simply passing as a left out individual.

Augustus came into view,

"I gotta ask you all a question. Go wait for me in front of the gate outside."

They all did as Mr. Leroux wished. Ines was waiting with them. However, she looked very worried for some odd reason despite that everything had been taken care of before things could've gotten any worse. There was a slightly uneasy feeling between the five of them. Although Jolyn had spent some time with them, he could admit that he still didn't know them from a can of paint. From afar, Augustus Leroux walked out of the house and frogmarched towards the group. Despite not knowing them, Jolyn had a gut feeling that something about this engagement could change all that,

"Merde," Felix swore, he looked up and down at his brother's, "You can tell he's upset…"

Not even a giving himself time to be within range, Augustus yelled with a finger pointed. He started in French but remembered a non-French speaker was present,

"Who left that damn fence open yesterday?! HUH!?" He demanded an answer. He pushed past Ines, who was trying to relax him. Jolyn had a hard time understanding whether his anger was understandable, but all he really knew was that he was frightened by it. An unrecognizable look draped over the face of Mr. Leroux. His skin was boiling red, and he probably saw nothing but. Looking at every one of them in the eye, he looked back, "We lost two goats, three pigs, and the pregnant cow," he huffed out his chest, "THE GODDAMNED COW!"

"Augustus, please. Calm down. You are being too loud,"

"Shut up, Ines! You protect them too much. It's why they always do this stupid shit and think they can get away with it!" Ines fell sheepish from those words. Her bottom lip trembled and her eyes began to water. She looked over at her boys who were clearly worried about her. They signaled messages with their eyes, telling her that things would be fine if they just submitted. Unintentionally, Augustus walked into their view, "We have less food than what we started off with, and now we have no milk and only one cow left," he held up a finger and turned to look at the boys, "Now who did it?"

With all of their heads looking down, Noel suddenly lifted his own and stepped forward,

"I-I did, father," he confessed, "I must've forgotten it when we were getting the démon off Felix…"

Augustus stepped forward and nodded his head, giving the impression that he was proud of Noel's honesty. Acting as if he were going to walk away, he turned back and struck Noel in the face, throwing his oldest son to the ground. The other Leroux's ran to his aid. Jolyn, on the other hand, was so stunned by it, he had no idea how to react. Indecisively, he decided to help sit Noel up. Ines, already whimpering quite loudly decided to stand up to her husband but was only met with a palm to the face also. She fell face-first to the ground. Dirt flew into her eyes, causing them to burn with irritation.

Her sons ran to the aid of their mother next. Noel, who excused his pain for his mother, ran to help her up as well. Jolyn, at this point, couldn't move. He feared that by getting involved, he would be next and he didn't know who'd be on his side if it ever happened.

"You said you'd stop hitting!" Ines wailed.

"You think I still have to listen to that bitch therapist?" Augustus ignorantly argued. He aggressively pointed at them, "If any of you would just listen to a thing I'd say, then this wouldn't happen!"

Without exchanging any more that would potentially put themselves in further harm, the sons did what they thought was best by keeping all of their traps shut. Hell—it looked like they could just sit there and still get hit. With all three of them supporting Ines, they walked towards the house. Felix signaled Jolyn to follow them.

The teenage bystander quietly stood up from the grass and circled Augustus, distancing himself a good couple of feet until he could pick up his pace and run in with the rest of the family. All Augustus could do was look at all four them, having not one ounce of shame for what he deliberately caused.

* * *

Pandora, Ada, and Arne searched relentlessly through the forest. Disrupting their luckless search, Arne properly pointed out a reanimated that was meandering through the trees up ahead. Arne could have shot it himself, but he was now running low on ammunition, finally facing the consequences of what it meant to carelessly become dependent on his assault rifle,

Before Ada could equip herself with her screwdriver, Dora nominated herself as it's eliminator. Ada ran far off to the side and whistled at the reanimated, prompting it to waddle towards her. Still armed with Jolyn's ghoststrike, Dora removed the blade and snuck behind it, knifing its soft temple. Soon after it slumped to the ground, Dora did as well. She felt around its shirt and pockets. Touching something attached to its belt, she raised the hem of its shirt to get a better view,

"Dammit!" Dora spat.

"What is it?" Arne asked, walking in behind her

"An empty holster. What are the odds of that?"

"Mom! Arne! Come quick!" They suddenly heard the third member of their party shout. Dora urged Arne to get a head start since he was far quicker and well equipped. Quickly getting up, Dora chased Arne, running faster than she could ever recall. Once they reached the source of Ada's cries, they met her with her back turned to them, "He's been through here."

"How can you tell?" She was asked.

Ada pointed towards a bush. It didn't take a hunter to know what a ruffled bush looked like and they could all instantly tell by the looks of it that someone had run through it—signs of struggle. And on the very tip of one of the broken branches was a mustard colored fabric that looked as if it had been torn. She picked it like a petal, held between her fingers, and showed it to her mother,

"This was the shirt he was wearing the day he ran off. Remember?"

"Ada…" Arne replied, sounding disappointed.

"This is his, I'm sure of it!"

"Yes, but you said that last time," Dora interjected.

Everyone knew that Dora wanted to find her son more than anything. So her objection to Ada's theory only made her daughter question if her heart was in it like it used to be.

Dora looked at her newly found wrist watch, declaring that they had already been out past an hour. Being around a more people, more serious rules were implemented for the safety of themselves and others.

With each passing day, Ada's mentality grew more and more worn. Returning back to the lake house with no more clues than what they started off with—which practically nothing—was enough to put a damper on the Chadwell's entire day. Dora and Ada followed Arne back through the forest, who brilliantly knew how to maneuver through the woods. He had an impeccable talent for retracing his steps. He told a story once about how, as a teenager, he walked back home after being dumped on the side of the freeway by some drunk guys he met at a bar.

As they walked, the herbaceous trees seemed to be clearing them a path the more they traveled towards the thin road that separated them from the lake house property. Although it had been days since Dora and her family had been welcomed here, the beauty and richness of this home was something that never fully dawned on her. She examined the home from the outside as the others walked ahead of her. Looking through all of its windows, she spotted Hunter minutes before he vanished behind his curtains.

Dora was the last to enter the house, seeing Merwyn seated alone in the lounge room. He stood up after noticing his acquaintances walk in,

"Did you find him?" Merwyn inquired, having hope that others had lost or misinterpreted.

Dora shook her head with a subtle smile geared towards his concern,

"I'll be right back," she showed him her hands which was covered in specks of dirt, "I just need to wash my hands and face really quickly."

Dora thought she was fooling everyone else, but they all knew that she was concealing something since "washing her hands" had become ritualistic after every one of their searches. She walked up the stairs that twisted once along the walls, leading her to a long and skinny path that Emberly loathed because of its frightful nature. Dora thought her young niece had a knack for being a scaredy-cat at times, but Dora could actually side with her on this one. The corridor that led to the other bedrooms in the house was both dismal and abysmal. Although it never did, it felt like it could transform into an endless hallway that stretched on forever and keep you entrapped no matter which direction you faced. The only comforting thing was the single light bulb that was dead center. Before her emotions could get the best of her, she stomached her foreboding sense and walked towards it, pulling chain to switch it on. She entered the bathroom, fully turned on both faucets, and discreetly released a therapeutic cry that lasted about ten minutes. She sat on the toilet, finding it hard to stand from such draining sobs.

Ada, Leo, Sarah, and Jolyn. Four children and she was only left with one. Among them all, she had no favorites and loved them all to death, but she knew their strengths and weaknesses. And of course there were certain qualities of each child that she preferred, but they meant nothing during a time like this. All that mattered to her was their weaknesses, and frankly, she felt that Jolyn was the weakest. To Dora, it ultimately came down to feeling like a failure. Up until they moved out of her home, she did everything she could to keep her children afloat—through shitty men and all. But to have something like this tear her family apart was determined to destroy her motherhood. Could anyone possibly understand how much of a failure she felt like? Maybe. But there was no one; not at this very moment.

She was thankful for everything that Arne had done and was more than happy that he was reunited with his son, but she could admit to herself that she was feeling jolts of envy seeing him with Hunter. She also faced a few mixed feelings towards Penelope. Was it possible to show gratitude with resentment? Because if not, Dora became historic. As much as she understood Penelope's gun-waving, she wished she would've saved the antics which possibly could've changed the outcome of all of this.

Once she was finished, she shut off the sink and made sure her eyes were free of any signs of crying. As she opened the door, little Hunter nearly stumbled inside,

"Hi…I just...wanted to use the bathroom. You were taking so long," he claimed, sweating. He imposed a smile that Dora just couldn't refuse to laugh at. She ruffled his dark brown hair as she walked past him.

Just before her foot could touch the stairs, she heard his bassless voice,

"I'm sorry about your son,"

Hesitantly, Dora turned her head back to Hunter's direction. She guessed that she had been underestimating children for some time because she just kept getting more and more surprised by their intelligence. Because they were often shunned and told to be quiet, all that was left for them to do was to become observant,

"What'd you say?" Dora asked softly.

"Your son. I know you miss him. I hope he's okay,"

Dora smiled through an aching face and glossy eyes,

"Thank you, Hunter. I hope he's okay too. But you don't have to apologize, sweetie."

He smiled and walked into the bathroom. She dabbed the waterline of her eyes with the neckline of her shirt and joined the rest of her group downstairs soon afterward.

* * *

Augustus had summoned everyone back into the living room. If it weren't for Felix fetching him, Jolyn would've ignored the call and probably ended up in deeper conflict. Minutes later, they all sat in the living room, watching Augustus as he confidently stood in the center with his fists on his hips.

"Look, I know I snapped earlier…" he paused and bit his bottom lip, "And I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry for hitting you."

He looked down at Noel, who was resting a cold pack on the deep-purple bruise on the right side of his face. Noel didn't answer him, neither did Ines,

"I know I've had issues with my anger in the past but...just...I've been doing so well since Jolyn came and I couldn't contain it anymore," He looked over at Jolyn next, who might as well have jumped out of his skin. Augustus briefly reached his hand out, "I'm sorry you had to see that Jolyn. Truly."

Jolyn wasn't new to these type of men considering his own father, but he decided to nod for the sake of Augustus' irritability.

Augustus went on to explain that a particular trade of theirs, with another survivor, was overdue and that they had to go out and accept whatever trade was being offered to them. Jolyn remembered being told something about this by Felix but didn't know the whole story. Basically, soon after the outbreak, the Leroux's had been helping someone out by giving them food nearly every week. In return, the person promised them firearms that could mow down a multitude of reanimateds. The teenagers were all on the same page to get away from the house for a while, but the only problem with it was that Augustus participated to tag along. He swore up and down that he would be doing his family a favor and making up for his ill actions. By the looks of everyone else's face, they weren't moved or surprised.

Everyone, except Ines, got themselves together so they could hit the road. Jolyn wore the same, recently washed clothes that Felix gave him on his first day in the house. Majority of the time, each of the Lerouxs kept a consistent attire. Now, even more. Augustus remained in overalls and rain boots. Felix wore a gunmetal grey button up top with denim jeans. Mathieu wore cargo pants tucked into his brown boots and a plain white top. Felix wore a plaid patterned hoodie with a grey colored hood and dark jeans.

As much as Jolyn desired Felix to be with him, Noel sat in the back of the pickup truck—presumably to avoid being anywhere near his father. The motor started, which was the perfect time for Jolyn to ask his question,

"Are you okay?" Jolyn spoke at a volume that only Noel could hear.

Noel followed up with a plain and simple nod. To Jolyn, his personality made sense. It didn't make him a good person, nor did it make him someone to feel more sympathy for after all he put Jolyn though. But...it just made things easier to understand. For now, Jolyn decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, because he personally believed that anyone could change. However, whether or not he wanted to change for the better was Noel's choice. Not anyone else's.

The drive took around thirty to forty-five minutes and drove along a path that Jolyn seemed to recognize—which was impossible because he knew nothing about Canada's streets. Crossing a bridge that took them over a beautiful, mirroring lake, Augustus made a turn at the next intersection. The path led them onto a gravel-road, crunching underneath all four tires of the truck,

"Wait a second…" Jolyn turned, seeing the same forest that nearly swallowed and ate him whole, on either side of the road, "I think I know this place."

"We found you not to far from here. That's why," Noel claimed.

"No, no...you don't understand."

A green lake house finally came into Jolyn's view and there was something in him that just found it almost impossible to believe. Was this the exact home or one that just looked like it? If it is...are they even still there? Finally, the truck stopped in the middle of the road, giving a slight squeak as it slowed. Jolyn exited the truck before everyone else could, astounded that he was back where he started,

"Militaire?" Mathieu spoke in French, motioning everyone to Arne's Humvee parked outside of the lake home.

"Looks like she wasn't lying. She said she had a husband who was in the military and that he had the guns, remember?" Augustus reminded.

Military? Guns? Jolyn was with Arne the whole trip from New York City and there wasn't a moment Jolyn could recall when Arne found an artillery of firearms. So who on earth could have made this promise. They kept referring to her as a 'she'. Who could it have been?

"You know this place?" Noel wondered, telling from Jolyn's reaction.

"I do," Jolyn confirmed, they both kept eyes on Augustus as he approached the door and knocked it, "Remember when I told you guys we met a man in the army?" Jolyn pointed at the beige truck.

The other two overheard the conversation, now piecing together everything that occurred up until after they found him.

* * *

Emberly was upstairs, reading comics in Hunter's bedroom. If there was anything she learned about him, it was that he a stingy, spoiled twelve-year-old who was personally offended by anything that didn't have to do with him getting the world's best treatment. On Emberly's first day there, Hunter made it very clear that every comic book that she 'stole' from his home was rightfully his and that she deserved to get locked outside with the monsters for it. He frightened her at first, but over time, she realized he was all talk. And despite getting his comic books back, he endlessly bickered on about it like it was something to constantly throw in her face. Emberly wasn't the violent type, but one good smack across his face would have served him right. Before she came to the lake house, she would read about eight comic books a day since there was nothing to do. But now, Hunter only allowed her eyes to read one a day. Two if he was feeling generous. She could agree that it was rightfully his comic books, but he was acting like the gatekeeper of treasure. He was the troll underneath the bridge.

"...Are you wearing my t-shirt again?" Hunter groaned.

With her hair combed out and tied into a little bun, she looked over at him.

"Yeah," she rolled her eyes as he looked away, "Your mom said it was okay."

"Well, take it off. It's mine."

"No."

"Why not?!"

"Because I have nothing to wear, and unless you want to see me in my undershirt, shut up!"

Hunter was completely surprised by the mention of Emberly's undershirt and looked back down into his comic book with an awkward smile on his face,

"Then give me back my comic book."

"You know what! Fine!" Emberly stood up, rolled up the comic book, and threw it at his face, "Here! Gosh, Hunter, why do you have to be so mean?"

He had an insensitive smile on his face, mostly amused by her reaction. He was being playful for the most part, but he often got carried away. Especially with how temperamental Emberly could be. Just as Hunter was going to stand up and retaliate with something that could possibly provoke another argument, they heard hard knocks coming from the front door. The kids quickly descended to the floor and looked at each other. One of the house rules for Hunter was that if anyone or anything were to come up to the front door—immediately hide. And the same thing applied to Emberly since she was now a guest.

They both crawled to the window and poked their little heads above the sill to hopefully get a good look at who was outside,

"Oh, it's just them…" Hunter relaxed. He identified the pickup truck, however, he gasped, "Emberly, look, it's your brother!"

Emberly took a closer look and saw four young boys accompanied with whomever was non-visibly, knocking the front entrance. Out of all of them, it wasn't hard to notice that one of them physically stuck out. He was shades darker and the thinnest one amongst them. Emberly recognized the frame from a mile away,

"That's not my brother, that's my cousin!" she happily cheered, dashing out his room and into the corridor.

She dashed out of the bedroom, with Hunter effortlessly catching up to her. She barged into one of the bedrooms in the corridor, seeing Ada and Carlos jump apart from one another on the mattress,

"Jolyn! He's outside!"

'What?!" Ada yelped in surprise as she sat up.

She immediately got up and ran out of the room, leaving her shirtless boyfriend behind. With his shirt wrapped around the neck like a scarf, he rolled it down his torso and began to push his arms through the sleeves. After he was finished, he paused and looked at Hunter who was staring at him from the doorway,

"What…?" Carlos mumbled

"What were you guys doing?" Hunter questioned with an inquisitive smile.

"Uh, she was listening to my heartbeat. She wants to be a doctor."

"I'm twelve,"

"Uhh…"

Before Carlos could come up with an even more terrible lie, Hunter ran off and chased after the girls who were already downstairs. Penelope was already at the door speaking with the man she identified as someone she knew. Emberly, however, emerged loudly into the living room, disrupting the reserved setting. Lowering her voice from the constant shushing, it didn't stop her from getting her message across.

Once Dora caught every word of what Emberly was saying, she looked outside through one of the living room windows from where she sat and couldn't believe her eyes. She got up and walked towards the doorway of the house, politely squeezing herself through Penelope and Augustus' conversation,

"Jolyn...?"

A smile spread over Jolyn's face, pleased to see that his mother was still safe. He scurried across the yard and ran into her opened arms as she greeted him just off the porch. They held each other tightly, having Dora follow up with loud kisses to his cheek,

"Oh! Thank God!" her voice cracked.

"Jolyn!?" Ada ran out of the house and was welcomed into his arms as well.

Being slightly taller than she was, he rested his chin on her head. Soon after, everyone else followed: Emberly, Carlos, Merwyn, even Arne.

"That's...that's some family," Mathieu muttered, regarding plenty of the different faces.

Noel and Felix snorted, knowing exactly what he meant by it. It was like an in-person college brochure. But despite the confusion, they could still all admit they were happy to have some lightness added to their day. And it wasn't much of a surprise that it was being emitted from someone like Jolyn and the people he surrounded himself with,

"You know these people?" Augustus asked, looking down at the group from the porch.

"Uh, yeah. These are my family and friends…" Jolyn responded honestly, not really sure with how he'd take it.

Everyone was far more astonished by Jolyn's ability to speak again.

"Where were you?!" Carlos put Jolyn in a brief headlock.

"Yeah what the hell happened to you?" Ada smacked his shoulder.

Jolyn fought himself out of Carlos' grip and prepared to tell the story, but he became far too anxious after witnessing all the eyes on him, including Penelope's,

"I just...I got a little freaked out by her gun. Next thing I knew I was running in the forest and I met these guys," he waved his hand over towards the three siblings in the back, Felix being the only who waved back, "They brought me to their farm and...yeah the rest is history."

"So, how are you here? What took you so long?" Ada inquired, resting her palm on his elbow.

Just as he was going to answer, Augustus felt that it was time to regain control of the situation,

"We came here because my farm's been trading with this lady," Augustus completed. He was referring to Penelope, "We had no idea he lived out here. S'all just a big coincidence I guess. Makes sense since my boys found him not too far out from here," Augustus looked down at Penelope, who was oddly detached from the situation and even less jovial than someone would normally be during a reunion such as this one, "Our deal is still on the table, right?"

While everyone else carried on with their conversations, Penelope, unfortunately, had to be the curb that would shorten the dialogues. She requested that she and Augustus be left alone to discuss some personal matters. Everyone else, who had no involvement in Penelope's current endeavor, walked back into the house with no problem,

"Except you…" Penelope rested her hand on Arne's chest, causing him to remain outside with her.

Before Jolyn could be the last to enter the lake house, he felt as if he had forgotten something. He slightly turned and looked over at the Leroux brothers, waving goodbye to all three of them with a dampened smirk. Surprisingly, every single one of them smiled and waved back, Felix's being a lot less enthusiastic. As Jolyn turned away and vanished inside of the home, Felix walked around the truck and locked himself inside.

"Do you know if we could rearrange our deal…?" Penelope asked.

Augustus became ruffled at that very moment. He scratched in between his brows, "I was afraid this was going to happen."

Arne looked at the both of them from the sidelines,

"What's going on?" Arne became involved.

"Are you her husband?!" Augustus questioned, sounding slightly aggravated.

"Ex-Husband," Arne corrected. He huffed out his chest, "Why, what's going on?"

"Well, your wife promised me and my family some guns in exchange for food. We've been feeding her the past couple of weeks."

Arne looked down at her,

"Well?! Do you have it?" Penelope shook her head, hoping that Arne would be able to get her out of this somehow. Arne scoffed and shook his head, unsurprised by Penelope's deceitfulness, "So why the hell would you make a deal like that?!"

They both began to quarrel with one another, Arne making more reasonable arguments than Penelope could. Arne held up a hand to temporarily cease their squabble and looked over at Augustus, who was clearly pissed by Penelope's lies. If it weren't for Arne being on the same page as him—much less, be around—god only knows what Augustus would have done. Arne begged that they be excused and promised that they would soon come up with some type of compromise to make up for all of the food that Penelope had practically stolen. With difficulty, Augustus allowed them to step to the side.

Once they entered the house, it was clear that the crowd in the living room had been listening to them yelling outside for the past few minutes,

"We have a problem…" Arne started.

Penelope couldn't believe that the red-head was willing to expose her on the spot like that. Eventually, he explained everything to everyone, and once it was time for Penelope to make sense of it all, she told her side to things: It wasn't too long after the infection had hit Canada and everyone was killing one another. Before things could've gotten worse, Penelope left Montreal and decided it was best to take her and Hunter to the lake house where she thought it would be safe. Unfortunately, all of the food that they grabbed lasted them only about three days. Hunter and Penelope went without food the following day, and it wrecked Penelope to see how much she couldn't provide for her only child. So they hit the road in hopes of finding something that could feed the both of them. All they ended up finding was a can of tuna, which barely did anything for them. Penelope discovered supermarkets but was just too terrified to face the dead on her own. She couldn't bring herself to do it. So, on her way back, she ran into Augustus, who noticed how desperate she and Hunter were. So Mr. Leroux provided them with chicken, pork, and eggs for weeks on end. But now that she could reflect, she could remember the sense of feeling exploited. She knew that if she couldn't return them any favors, they probably would've been left to die. So she did what her instincts were telling her to do: Lie. Her big scheme was to obtain as much food as possible until the due date arrived, take Hunter and hit the road again. But that all changed when Arne reappeared.

"I did it for our son!" she concluded.

"But where were you going to go?" Arne understood, but at the same time, Penelope's choice could have endangered their son, "For all we know, the only reason you're still alive is because that boy has been with them."

"So what now?" Dora crossed her arms, "Is he gonna just let you off?"

"I-I don't know…" Penelope stammered.

Jolyn sat in thought for a moment, not only thinking about the possible danger that his family could be in the crossfire of but also thought of the way to make this right. From where he sat, resting his hand on his crossed leg, he glanced up,

"Maybe I could repay the debt by working it off?"

"No," Dora immediately declined, "You just got back here I'm not losing you again."

"Then what are we gonna do? I mean, I got to know the whole family. Maybe Mr. Leroux will be easier on me."

"It does sound like a good idea…" Penelope supported.

Dora rolled her eyes at Penelope's comment and so did Ada. Mrs. Chadwell was already pestered by how much balls Penelope had to say and do the things she had done up until now, including giving her son the a-OK to risk his life for her careless choices—the same boy that she sent running into the woods. Dora held her tongue from telling Penelope how she really felt, which was that she was a downright bitch, asking the lord to understand in the process.

Carlos raised his hand in the midst of the debate, explaining that he would like to see what this farm was like. Besides, it would be better for Jolyn to have someone he could really depend on. With that being said, Ada soon volunteered to accompany them.

"Three pairs of hands should be better. Could get the work done faster…" Ada sensibly said.

Arne, feeling the knee-jerk reaction to not be shown up by a bunch of teens volunteered as well. However, Penelope asked to speak with him privately, which rubbed everyone else the wrong way. She already held too many secrets. What more could she have to discuss that no one else was allowed to hear? Arne followed his ex-wife to the back door and exited the house with her. They walked out from underneath the awning, bringing themselves unto the boardwalk. With arms crossed, Penelope looked out towards the lake,

"Let them go," Penelope urged. Arne tried to speak over her, but she wasn't ready to hear anything else, "What are you doing Arne? You haven't seen your son in almost a year and you're going to give this up for a bunch of people you just met?"

"I've been through a lot with that family, okay?"

"We're your family. Think about Hunter. I can barely protect him by myself and he needs you to be around. Jolyn, Ada, and Carlos...they seem capable,"

"Yeah, but they're doing this for you and to get your sorry ass out of trouble,"

Penelope shook herself before she spoke,

"I deserve that. You're right. And I'll be sure to thank them, but just think for a minute before you do this. If something happens to you out there, what am I gonna do?" She held Arne's hand and brought it to her chest, "Please, you're the only one who can protect him, and I need to know that you're going to be there for him in case anything happens to me."

Arne fell prisoner whenever someone mentioned Hunter, and it was the easiest way to manipulate him into taking the bait. First with Dora and now with Penelope. Once he agreed to stay behind for the sake of their son, she hugged him and kissed him on the lips. Although their marriage was over, the love for one another was still there and the mutual love they shared towards their son was stronger than anything in the world. Penelope reentered the house with Arne, however, he was the one to deliver the message because she figured the blow would be gentle coming from him.

Carlos and the Chadwells weren't surprised by Arne's retraction. But could they blame him for not wanting to be away from his son again?

Dora, this time, was too upset to cry at the thought of being separated from her son again, but she wasn't too worried. From the looks of it, Jolyn was in wonderful condition. He was eating full course meals a day and he was speaking again. Clearly, something right was being done—he even put on some weight. So she figured that going back with the Leroux's probably wasn't such a bad idea. Maybe in the end, they could all possibly benefit from it. But before releasing them with this stranger, Dora made it clear that she wanted to see where this farm was located in case of any emergencies. With a little convincing, Arne was allowed to accompany her.

Ada and Carlos grabbed the few items of clothing that they had in order to change into during their stay at the farm and met with Jolyn, Dora, and Arne in front of the lakehouse.

Augustus, who was waiting in the car with his sons, accepted the alternative offer but still wasn't happy. He also accepted the small handgun that was obtained from Ada's mugger on the freeway. From the moment he laid his eyes on Arne, he just couldn't remove them from the M4. The military assault rifle was probably all they needed to settle their deal, but it was already crystal clear that Arne wasn't giving his only means of protection up to anyone.

Two more people would be a lot of mouths to feed, but the help would sure make up for it. Felix smiled at Jolyn from the passenger's seat, more than happy that Jolyn would be rejoining his dysfunctional family for the time being. On the way back to the Leroux farm, Jolyn and Ada accompanied Carlos in his Volkswagen. Arne drove his Humvee with Dora being right by his side in the passenger's seat. Being in the countryside, there wasn't much to see except trees and expansive fields.

Once they finally reached the farm, Noel hopped out of the back of the pickup truck to opened the fence for all vehicles to enter the yard and park behind the tool shed. Altogether, everyone exited their vehicles.

Dora's face began to twist just as her stomach did at the sight of liquidated animals strewn all around the farm grounds. Flies were already being attracted to the noisome miasma, laying eggs that would soon turn into greedy maggots,

"What the hell happened here?" Dora walked ahead of everyone else.

Augustus walked up to one of the slain swine and fanned at the flies, causing them to swarm away from him with their orchestra of wings. He explained how the démons were the ones responsible for this, but also mentioned that his boys and Jolyn took care of them, hoping to reassure Dora that there was nothing to worry about. Especially Jolyn's safety. He also cared to mention that if it weren't for this recent invasion of the dead, he probably wouldn't have needed the extra hands.

Ada looked around, noticing a couple of reanimated bodies laying about. The thought of disposing of the bodies was disconcerting. After a small tour, everyone was introduced to one another, as well as Ines, who by this point, had a small bruise, identical to Noel's, underneath her eye.

As time went on, it was time for Arne and Dora to leave. Dora hugged both her children, always terrified that it could be the last time she ever saw them.

"Can I ask you a question?" Dora asked Jolyn, "Why does one of the sons have that bruise on his face?"

"Oh, Noel? Noel..." Jolyn momentarily stalled, "He got kicked by one of the horses."

"There's horses here?" Ada overheard, turning to search the farm once again.

"No, that's the thing," his brain conjured up more lies, "It was one and it got spooked by the d-" Jolyon caught himself from using the Leroux term, "...reanimated and it escaped the farm. When Noel tried grabbing it, the horse kicked him in the face. So. Yeah."

"Oh, goodness. Poor guy," Dora sympathized.

Arne honked his car, essentially telling Dora that it was time to get going. She gave her children one last farewell and called Carlos over for an affectionate peck on the cheek. Carlos, at this point, was like a child of her own and she found it nearly impossible to not see all of the good and potential that he harnessed. Being the first to want to accompany Jolyn on this task made Dora recall all the times he put his life on hold to protect both of her children. And it was something she would always be thankful for.

As the parent's exited the Leroux's farm, Dora sat awfully quiet, keeping her eyes on the side mirror until the heads of her teenagers were no longer in sight, vanishing underneath the road along the horizon. With her hands folded in her lap, she rested her head back and daydreamed. Arne looked over at her,

"They'll be okay," Arne insisted.

"I know. I know they will…


	6. Episode 6 - Joy

**(Trigger warning: There are references and mentions of suicide in this chapter. Either proceed with caution or avoid reading)**

* * *

Still angered by getting the short end of the stick, Augustus did what he could to get his mind off of it and put the kids to work, ordering all teenagers to clean up the farm before the smell got worse and attracted more unwanted attention.

Ada and Carlos recently obtained garments that they figured they could wear on a farm, therefore Ada wore a thin white long-sleeved shirt and some tights to wear underneath some purple dungarees that Ines lent her. Due to their difference in size, the dungarees were loose fitted and baggy. If it weren't for the shoulder straps, they'd be around her ankles. She wore a black trucker hat, allowing her ponytail to freely flow through the back hole. Carlos wore a plain grey top, some denim jeans. In the end, both he and Ada were given a pair of abandoned rain boots and safety gloves.

They worked separately from one another, each being given a Leroux sibling to be mentored by. Ada had been practicing with Noel and unfortunately had to deal with the saddest loss of the day—Bella. No part of the job was "easy" per se, but Jolyn and Felix were given the least back-breaking task: Feeding the remaining animals and digging a cemetery plot a couple of feet away from the farmhouse.

Meanwhile, Mathieu and Carlos had to get rid of the rest of the animal carcasses along with the reanimated bodies.

However, there was a problem with Ada and Noel's task. Bella was just too heavy to carry. Even with all six of them, it seemed impossible. Even if they could carry her, where were they going to load her? A wheelbarrow was too small for her entire body,

"We're going to have to chop her up…" Noel suddenly suggested.

"What…?" Ada looked troubled.

Noel looked up at her, somewhat unsurprised that someone related to Jolyn was just as incapable. His first impression of her? Spineless and girly. Especially with that oddly colored hair of hers. He cloaked his prejudice as understanding, although he knew he never would. Doing themselves both a big favor, he suggested that she and Mathieu switch places so that she could be with her friend, who he figured was just as useless.

He called Mathieu over and explained everything to him. It wasn't an easy decision to come to, but after some thinking, they realized they didn't have much of a choice. It was gruesome, but the job was finished in no time. Before moving to the farm, none of them had the stomach to butcher animals, but it changed over time. Especially once the dead started to walk.

Felix and Jolyn managed to dig out a ditch deep enough for the carcasses. It had taken a bit of extra elbow grease, but everyone got their respective job done. Even Ada and Carlos each did their part at wheelbarrowing one hundred and fifty-pound bodies across the farmyard.

Having accumulated every murdered thing and dumping it into the recently made ditch, one of the brothers fetched some gasoline and a match, igniting the remains to ashes. The rotten smell was too intense. Its fumes caused every single one of them to cough their lungs out. To save themselves the punishment, they turned away and returned to the home to tell their father that their job had been done. Halfway there, Mathieu suddenly stopped walking,

"Merde…" he complained.

Everyone's eyes followed his. He was looking back out into the streets beyond the farm gate, seeing seven reanimated wandering lifelessly, fighting the whistling breezes that indirectly called them,

"They just keep coming," Felix noted.

"It's just a couple of them. It's not like they noticed us," Carlos studied their walks. He assumed that all seven of them were just too far for their interest.

"It started off really light. Around one or two a night. Now they've been showing up in crowds. That's how that…" Mathieu pointed towards the pit engulfed in blooming flames, "...happened."

"Well, let's take them out while we're here…" Ada suggested.

"That's stupid," Noel interjected, "You guys can go ahead and put yourselves in danger. We're gonna go inside and sulk over the fact your friend lied to us about our guns."

"We had nothing to do with that?" Ada defended. From the stories, she couldn't understand how Jolyn dealt with his behavior, "We weren't around when that deal happened."

"Whatever," Noel shut up.

He planned to walk off, calling his brothers into the house with him. Already having established some sense of kinship with the Leroux's, Jolyn followed after them before Ada could hold him back. He turned around, not really thinking anything of his decision to follow the Leroux's rather than his own sister. Unless she was in a state of delusion, Carlos inevitably sided with his girlfriend,

"Come on, Ada. What's the point?" Jolyn asked her.

"Think about where they're headed," Jolyn looked at her in bewilderment, unable to answer her question, "Merwyn? Mom? Emberly?" she hinted.

Fine, Jolyn silently gave in, shoving through Carlos and Ada. They immediately began running towards the gate, meanwhile, Carlos retrieved his sledgehammer from the backseat of his car and shortly joined the twins afterward,

"Hey!" Ada waved, attracting all of the reanimated's attention.

Being at the very end of the undead gang, Ada seized the last reanimated marching in line and caught it by surprise. It stood taller than her, therefore she held it by its shoulder and drove her wearing screwdriver directly into its eye socket.

Carlos weltered in next, handling his contemporary war hammer with more finesse than before. He held it with both hands and whirled his hammer, practically cracking through the skulls of two reanimated simultaneously—a goal of his he had been trying to achieve back in the suburbs. He howled loudly, practically cheering. He looked over and smiled at his girlfriend who was trying to hide her fascination,

"What a show-off," she teased.

"Are we really..." Jolyn paused, giving a strong grunt as he kicked over their fourth target and stabbed it through the temple with the ghoststrike knife that his mother returned to him. He stood up and wiped beads of sweat from his forehead, "...Are we really having fun with this?"

Strangely, they could admit that they did find some type of humor in it, and that was something they never foresaw. When there was so little good left in the world, it took barely any effort to find joy in anything else.

Ada, Carlos, and Jolyn stood shoulder to shoulder, realizing that they had five more infected left over. The dead was simple to take down, but one thing to never take for granted was their size in groups. Just because they were an easy target, it didn't mean they were weak. In order for a reanimated to be outdone, the assailant had to exhibit a vast amount of speed and dexterity, and doing that multiple times could be draining. The trio stood beside one another, having their recently found levity disrupted by the five remainders that somnambulated towards them.

Maybe this wasn't the best idea? Ada thought, realizing she might have bitten off more than she could chew.

"How badly do you guys need help?"

They followed the voice, seeing Felix and Mathieu on the other side of the gate. Felix, now armed with the shotgun exited the premise with his brother and participated in the purging of the stumbling creatures. Without wasting any bullets, Felix put the closest reanimated down by jabbing it in the head with the stock of his weapon. Striking it repeatedly while it was already laid out on the pavement caused its head to dramatically split in the back, causing a stream of ichor to mark the streets. Mathieu followed up, using both hands to plunge his switchblade into the roof of a reanimated's moldering head.

Carlos quickly circled around one and swung his tool at its leg. The limb dangled and flopped around separately as its owner snarled and snapped ravingly at its opponents. Carlos slammed the ridge down unto its mug, caving in its entire forehead. Whatever was left of its meager cerebrum, seeped through the fractures of its skull.

"Gross…" Jolyn commentated.

By a show of faces, they came to a general consensus that Carlos' kill had been the messiest out of all of them. He was proud to achieve the record, but no one was looking to top him.

Ada targeted one with a slit throat that had apparently worsened through is travels—"suicide-gone-wrongs" as Carlos liked to call them. People who tried to kill themselves to avoid becoming one of them. Holding it right-side up, Ada approached the growling reanimated and swiftly transfixed the screwdriver through its throat with sheer force. Blood spilled out and coated the surface of her hand as she momentarily touched the reanimated's fresh wound, having most of the skin act as pockets for blood. Everyone grimaced at the brutal kill but was also impressed with Ada's constant composure.

The last reanimated was open to being anyone's kill. Just then, Noel walked through to the front of humans. Although he was in the worst mood there, he strangely saw this moment as an opportunity of some sort—one to not be left out. He held onto one of Felix's old baseball bats and battered up. Noel yelled at the wandering corpse, turning its attention away from whoever was its next target. Once it approached him, he swung the bat at the demon and knocked it to the ground. After it had fallen, he wailed out on the demon, attacking it nonstop until its head was obliterated into ground beef. Exhausted, Noel finally gave mercy on the nonliving and turned around to see the disturbed faces of his companions. He wiped his cheek, smearing dark red blood over his pale skin.

"What?" he sounded relieved.

* * *

Hunter walked through the dark corridor, an eerie path that he became completely immune to by the time he turned ten. He walked towards his bedroom, which was directly on the other end of the hallway. But as he walked past one of the plenty doors in the path, he heard a curious noise behind it. He paused and insensitively placing his ear up against the door. The closer he listened to the sounds coming from the other side, the more he was able to identify them as cries. The only person who knew would do this was Ms. Dora, but he knew she wasn't around.

With his mother keeping an eye out for when his dad returned, it left Hunter with one option. He slowly took a step back, trying to avoid making any sound that would let Emberly know that she was being eavesdropped on. Just as he was going to take a step away, Hunter paused, staring at the pine door for an awfully long time. It was different now that he identified the sounds,

"Emberly?" He softly tapped the door.

"Huh?" Her voice shook.

"Are you okay?" He watched as the door slowly opened. From behind, one of her eyes peeked through the darkness, seeing her specs reflect the little light from the bathroom window. Before she could even attempt to pull herself together, Hunter opened the door even further, seeing Emberly at her worst. She was using toilet paper to pat her eyes dry. Even out of all the times Hunter had purposely messed with her, he had never seen her this upset. If something was really bothering her, he wanted to get down to the bottom of it. He walked into the bathroom and stood beside her. He looked directly at her through the mirror as she avoided eye contact, he asked, "What's wrong?"

Before speaking, she grabbed a little Canadian coin that was given to her by Carlos, as a gift, before he left. The youngster went on to explain that her older cousins, and even Carlos, had been the source of her happiness. They were the ones keeping her grounded and keeping her mind off her father. Being far away from them made her paranoid, and she was just afraid of losing them just as much as she felt when fearing the loss of her father. It was hard enough grieving one person, she couldn't imagine what it was like grieving three more.

"They're going to be okay. They're with those nice farmers," Hunter attempted to console.

"I wanted to go with them," Emberly explained, "I hate being the youngest sometimes. I never get to do anything."

"Well. I'm happy you're here," Hunter said, looking over at her. Even if he expected speechlessness to those remarks, it wasn't a lie meant to make her feel better. He meant every single word. He gleamed with sympathy and reached over for a short hug. Hunter and Emberly were such polar opposites, that something had to give whenever things appeared to be going well between the both of them. But although she couldn't express it, she was clearly thankful for Hunter's genuine words. He placed one arm on her shoulder and pulled her close, "Let's read some comics."

Unbeknownst to Emberly, Hunter had been flipping through the pages of his comic book with serious disinterest and had been looking over at her every now and then for the past ten minutes. He didn't want to be the one to disturb her because he knew she'd rather enjoy the comic book he specifically picked out for her. But reading and arguing wasn't the only kind of entertainment Hunter wanted. It got old and it got old really fast. Hunter looked up at his bedroom window, seeing two birds bounce around on top of the roof on the other side.

"Wanna see something cool?" Hunter randomly asked.

Emberly glanced away from the comic book, taking a moment or two to before she zoned back to reality. Taken a quick moment to finish up her last two panels, she rested down the comic and accepted his offer. He locked his bedroom door, having Emberly face his every move. Running towards his windows, he fully pulled up the blinds and opened the window sill. While slightly pulling himself up, he brought one leg up, over and through the window sill,

"What are you doing?" Emberly kept herself at a safe distance, afraid that any sudden movements could fully send him over the edge, "Hunter stop! That's dangerous!"

"No, it's not, I do it all the time."

Once he brought both legs over, Hunter stepped out of the window and carefully walked over the shed roof outside his room, the same exact roof that stood over the porch.

She couldn't understand from where she stood, so she followed Hunter's motioning and walked towards the window to see that he was safe. He tried convincing her to climb out next, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Holding his hand out, Hunter promised that he wouldn't let her fall. Emberly took a deep breath and contemplated before placing all her naive trust in him and grabbed his hand. After being aided outside of his room, her feet stayed rooted in the same spot,

"I feel like I'm on top of the world when I'm up here," Hunter looked at her.

"Where are you going?" Emberly watched as he walked to the corner of the rooftop.

She feared that he would fall and hurt himself, but, almost professionally, Hunter slid down the wooden column that held up the roof. Scared that the smallest breath would send her through, Emberly didn't move a muscle. Hunter backed away further out onto the property to get a good view of her shutting her eyes from above,

"Come on, it's easy," he coaxed.

Unable to respond because her eyes were still closed, she opened to the calling of her name. Without even having to voice her fears of falling down, her troublesome friend promised that he would help her down. Although it was terrifying, there was something thrilling about being so rebellious. Aunt Dora wasn't around to tell her what to do, and Penelope was probably worrying over Arne, for nothing, while inside of the house with Merwyn. She had gotten this far, so why stop now? The more and more Hunter coaxed her, she gave in and safely knelt on all fours. Peeking her head over the edge, he was waiting at the bottom just as he promised.

He guided her step by step, telling her to come down with her feet first and to fit her feet into the small crevasses that were just around the edge of the rooftop. Eventually, she wrapped her legs around the pillar and slowly slid down thanks to her friend's assistance. However, she shrieked as she landed quite roughly on top of Hunter. She covered her mouth as they both fell to the ground and quietly laughed with one another. After picking both of themselves up from the grass, Hunter quietly led her around to the back of the lake house,

"Ever went fishing before?" Hunter asked.

Emberly shook her head with a quiet smile. Hunter pressed himself against the wall of the home, staying crouched as they made it past every window. He waited until Emberly caught up with him and pointed to a boat waiting by the pier the extended out into the hushed lake,

"That's my rowboat. Guess its name," he urged. But before she could even attempt, he answered, "My granddad name it The Hunter," he grinned. But his cocky smile eventually vanished along with the sinking of his heart from the mention of his grandfather, "He used to take me fishing all the time. I wonder if he's okay..."

Emberly didn't know how to answer, because the entire situation was stressing enough. All she knew is that she had to be there for Hunter as he was for her.

"I know how you feel," she blurted.

He smiled at her, having her companionship be enough to change his train of thought. He remembered something important and told her to wait. And just as promised, he left and reappeared within seconds, holding a tall blue fishing rod in his hand. Resting it on the platform, he went ahead to prep the boat while Emberly patiently waited and kept lookout. But being lookout was a boring responsibility. She wasn't sure whether it was a good or bad thing that Penelope was so careless of her son, but she didn't let it bother her.

She was more than positive no one was going to catch them after all this time, so she took the opportunity to dip her hand in the cool lake water.

However, Hunter's mom wasn't the only being they had to look out for.

Elsewhere, unbeknownst to the preteens, a reanimated had been on a restless four-day journey and had miraculously made its way out of the forest; that being the front of the lakehouse. Directly across from it, he could make out two moving meals—Emberly being its main attraction. It snarled softly and limped due to it having a significant mass carved from its right calf from whatever circumstances. It was tall and possessed grey skin akin to its dry, balding hair.

If it weren't for Hunter requesting that Emberly pass him his fishing rod, she would have never glanced over to notice the reanimated through the corner of her eye. She would've have been grabbed by its cold clenches. She was in shock,

"Hu..Hu...Hun…" she tried saying through hyperventilations.

Although he seemed a little preoccupied with unfastening the rope of his boat, Emberly's stillness provoked him to look up. She was staring back at something, initially confusing it with look-out. As he walked back up the pier, he reached for his fishing rod and gasped at the sight of the reanimated making it towards her,

"Come on!" he nudged her. After realizing that she was too petrified to move, he grabbed her wrist and ran around the side of the house. They both looked back, realizing that the reanimated had picked up its pace in order to get its two-for-one meal. Reaching the front, Hunter threw his fishing rod up over the roof and quickly climbed up the exact pillar he slid down, using his strength and climbing prowess to sit atop the rooftop in no time. Next was Emberly, who had a difficult time listening to him. Everything Hunter instructed didn't even go through one ear; nothing seemed to be getting through to her. She kept jumping at the column, hoping she could mimic the exact movements of Hunter.

Unable to stop looking over, she could see the reanimated having difficulty pushing through the wild and tall shrubbery that obstructed a majority of the house's left side. Once it finally got through, it tripped over an old lawn ornament and struggled to pick itself up,

"Hurry!" Hunter yelled.

Hunter lent both hands, reaching down and finally grabbing hold of Emberly's. Despite being fairly taller than her, the small kid still struggled at lifting her. Not yielding to the exhaustion, Hunter lifted her until she was able to grab hold of the ledge. And just as she could feel herself almost making it over, Emberly felt the reanimated grab hold of her ankle. She slipped, nearly falling back down with the weight that tugged on her sneakers. She shrieked loudly, this time hoping to divert all attention on her.

Penelope and Merwyn were resting on the living room sofas, catching up on weeks worth of lost sleep. But the recognizable cries of a child were enough to alert the both of them. Penelope quickly ran towards the door and quickly unlocked the door. Without hesitating, Penelope reached into her back pocket and pulled out her Kahr CM9. She fired approximately two breakneck shots at the creature, causing spritzes of blood to spout from the newly made bullet holes in its chest and head. She watched as the vermin fell to the ground and ran with the handgun still in her grip. Unsure of who was in danger, the last thing she saw was Emberly's legs being pulled up. Even though she was glad that the young girl was safe, she was even more glad that it wasn't Hunter. Then again, it made her wonder.

"Emberly?" Penelope called from below. After a couple seconds of quietness, Penelope figured to ask for her again, "Emberly, look at me please," she pressed. As Emberly's head came into view, her cloudy dark brown hair was far more visible than most her head. She was clearly trembling, keeping her eyes on the corpse that rested beside Penelope's footing, "Are you okay?" Emberly was clearly still terrified, but Penelope needed to be certain of one thing, "Where's Hunter?"

By the sound of his name, Hunter revealed himself beside her,

"I'm okay, mom."

Thankful, she looked back at Emberly, hoping to at least get to the bottom of something,

"Are you.." she paused, "Sweetie, did you get hurt?"

Before she could answer, Penelope turned after hearing the hums of Arne's truck. From where Arne and Dora sat, they could tell there was a couple of things wrong with this picture: Two children on the rooftop, a reanimated corpse right beside Penelope, and Merwyn waiting at the doorway. Arne quickly climbed out of his Humvee with Dora following,

"What happened? Is everyone okay?" Arne ran onto the property.

"What are you both doing up there?" Dora scowled at the children from afar.

"Get back inside and meet us downstairs. Now," Penelope demanded.

All of the adults watched as the preteens crawled back through the window and into Hunter's room. Dora shook her head in, absolutely astonished by their craftiness. From where Merwyn stood, all he could hear were footsteps,

"Be easy on 'em. Kids will be kids…" he empathized, "I'm sure they learned their lesson."

Right now, it was just Arne and Penelope alone in the basement. He grabbed himself a cold can of beer from the blue cooler and snapped it open before taking one long swig. Pulling the can away from his lips he wiped his mouth,

"Has he always been like this?" Arne questioned, "I don't remember him ever being this rambunctious."

Penelope hesitated to answer, but she shook her head,

"He did it once but I told him to never do it again."

Furthermore, everything that occurred convinced them to discuss a suitable punishment for their son who had obviously become more defiant with age and money. However, just as figured, there was no suitable punishment for him. They couldn't take away his television and computer privileges, nor could they stop giving him an allowance.

"You've spoiled him too much," Arne rested down his can, "Who's to say he hasn't done it more than once."

"I haven't!" Penelope defended.

"Yes. Yes, you have," Arne said. He leveled out his tone of voice to ease Penelope's inflating anger.

"Well, if you want to call trying giving your son everything you can because his father is no longer in his life, spoiling? Then so be it," she raised her voice.

Arne raised a palm,

"Just calm down, Penny."

"I am calm! Just don't think you get to vanish for years and then come back and judge my parenting skills. At least I got the chance to spoil him! And what have you done? Make phone calls."

Arne shut his mouth after he was harshly put in his place,

"That isn't fair. You know I've done more than that."

She took his beer off the table and took a couple of gulps for herself. She rested on a nearby counter while Arne sat comfortably on the ice box. After she finished the beer, she crushed the can with both of her hands, penetrating the quietness in the room. She aimed to toss it in a black plastic back tied to a doorknob but missed.

"When are we leaving?" Penelope asked without warning, having her back turned, "You, Hunter, and I?" she specified.

"What?" Arne looked up in disbelief. He was surprised at her insensitive question, "What the hell would make you ask that? We can't leave, we're safe here."

"Why not?" Penelope crossed her arms.

"Because...what about Dora and her family? Merwyn and Carlos? They're my friends."

"And we're your family," Penelope spat, but at a volume that wouldn't alert the others upstairs, "I've seen what Ada and Carlos can do. Jolyn survived a night out there by himself, Dora looks perfectly capable. Didn't you say that Ada disarmed a man?" Arne nodded, "So what's the problem?"

"Yeah, and those are the same kids that just put themselves on the line in order to pay off what your ass couldn't!"

"Yes, but I did what I had to do for our son! You and Dora would do the same!"

Arne groaned in frustration. He jumped up from the cooler and wagged his pointer finger in her face,

"Just think about what you're asking me to do. I can't leave them after everything they've done for me. I don't think any of us would be here if it weren't for them. They need me!"

"They need you, or do you need them?"

"Alright," Arne became dismissive and turned away in an attempt to return to the family room, "This little chat is over. I never could talk to you."

"When are you just gonna admit that you're doing it again?" Penelope groaned.

"Doing what?!"

"She reminds you of her. Doesn't she?"

"We're not doing this right now," Arne attempted to walk off but was physically turned around by Penelope.

"She reminds you of her—your English teacher," she paused, hoping that Arne's annoyance would've at least made him lie quicker. But he couldn't bring himself to answer, "Doesn't she?"

Arne had quite a backstory that a lot of people, except Penelope, didn't know about. And the only few he was so close to telling about it was Ada and Pandora during that day on the freeway. That was how much they meant to him, and that was how much Mrs. Chadwell truly reminded him of an important role model in his life.

Arne Rogers was born in a very rural part of Canada. He was the only son of a drug addict father and a mother who had passed during labor. After the passing of his wife, Mr. Rogers turned to drugs and had an indirect anger towards the son he subconsciously felt was responsible for losing the love of his life. He hated Arne. From the time Arne could walk, he was abused. The saying "the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree" was indeed a true one; at least in Arne's case. Arne's home life began to show in the ways he interacted with other kids and teens in his age group. He stole like a kleptomaniac and fought relentlessly all while hanging out with the wrong people. By the time he got into high school, Arne had probably tried every drug known to man. He was certainly headed in the wrong path. Had he not changed his lifestyle, Arne would've probably ended up dead a long time ago.

During his sophomore year, he was assigned an English teacher named Ms. Engleton. She always wore pretty button-up shirts, a pencil dress, and wore her hair in a voluminous afro in various styles. She was unlike any other woman Arne had met. Even though every other teacher seemed to routinely wash their hands of him, she was the only woman who seemed determined enough to change his outlook on his life. Arne never saw himself becoming so close to a school teacher before, but he eventually found himself speaking to Ms. Engleton more than he would his own school counselor. She probably never saw it coming either, but Ms. Engleton was a single woman unable to have any children. So when Arne came into her life, she treated him like he was her very own son. She'd take him out to eat, provided him a place to sleep whenever his dad kicked him out, and she'd give him rides before and after school. Sure, their relationship had the good, but it also had the bad and ugly; the fights, the disagreements.

But he loved every moment of it. For once he could really say he felt like he had a mother. Once Mr. Rogers got word of how close Ms. Engleton was with her son, he thought it was quite a bizarre relationship, when in reality it was just envy. Seeing a woman, he didn't even know, provide double what he could, insulted his pride. So there came a night when Arne ran out of his home after a very destructive fight that resulted in giving his father a black eye. Arne ran away and tried to contact Ms. Engleton, but couldn't get a hold of her. He slept out in a park somewhere and did drugs despite finally deciding to become sober. To make a long story short, Arne went back to school the following week and couldn't shake the bleakness that the entire school building had that day. When it was time for English class, he was pulled out of the classroom by the principal, who took a liking to his inspiring relationship with Ms. Engleton. That's when he was informed that she had gotten into a terrible car accident the same night she went searching for him. Arne was terrified to ask, but he had to know.

"Is she okay?"

The principal bite his bottom lip,

"The car accident was fatal. The doctors tried everything they could to save her, but she didn't make it."

Being excused from the rest of the school day, Arne remembered feeling too angry to even cry. But once he reached home, his father even took into consideration how much this hurt him. When it came to attending her funeral, Arne came crumbling down. Out of all of what he had been through in his life, this had been the most devastating.

There was something about Dora that reminded him of Ms. Engleton and, frankly, it was a problem he encountered with many older women since her passing. From the way, she cared about her own children to the way she welcomed him into her family spoke volumes to him. It was always in the back of his mind, but he was now coming to terms with it.

"So why won't you let me do this if you know how much it means to me?" Arne somewhat begged Penelope.

Penelope sighed, knowing that this must've been a hard discussion to have. She could admit that flippantly jumping to this topic wasn't the right way to go about it, but it was something that had to be said or else Arne would've been putting himself on the line for this entire family. He was one person and he was spreading himself too thin,

"Do you love our son or not?"

"Of course!" He raised his voice in anger. He couldn't believe she would even think to ask such an obvious question.

"Then promise me you'll do whatever it takes to protect him. Promise me!"

Arne waited,

"I promise. I'll do whatever it takes."

* * *

In Hunter and Emberly's case, they both didn't have to be punished in order to be taught a lesson, because the reanimated did that very well on its own. If it weren't for its monstrous nature, Penelope and Rogers would have thanked it.

Both of the children were still in shock, sitting next to one another on the family sofa while four adults loomed in front of them. Their body language was already a determiner of how well the message was going to be received by each of them. Emberly, both literally and figuratively sat on the edge while nervously fiddling with her fingers; her big hair even scruffier due to her struggle from earlier. Her leg shook.

Hunter sat back slouched and impatient with his arms crossed. He had gotten multiple lectures from his mother one what not to do ever since they came to the lakehouse. It's not like he didn't know it was wrong. He knew exactly what he was getting himself into. It's just that, during the moment, he didn't exactly know how dangerous it was until he saw the reanimated face to face.

"What do you two have to say for yourselves?" Arne started, figuring he knew the most about being disciplinary.

"S-sorry…?" Emberly stammered.

Arne looked over at Hunter,

"Sit up when I'm talking to you!"

"Arne!" Penelope whispered sharply.

"Will you let me handle this? Please?"

"But that's no way to talk to him!" Penelope defended Hunter, far more offended than Huner could ever care to be.

Hunter looked over at Emberly and smiled at her, prompting her to smile back. Once they noticed Merwyn glaring back at them, their smiles vanished almost simultaneously.

"Can we go now?" Hunter raised his hand in the midst of his mother and father arguing.

"No. Now, what made you think it was okay to do what you two did?"

"It was Hunter's idea," Emberly snitched in a heartbeat.

He nudged her with his elbow,

"Dude, really?"

The preteens were clearly unphased by the adults. Emberly did initially look more apologetic than Hunter did, but his careless attitude was prone to rub off of her now that they weren't in harm's way. In her case, she was becoming more carefree than careless.

"Hunter!" Arne snapped. His eyes jumped up at his father, quicker than any muscle in his body. He was taken by surprised by how loud his father could blow. Considering that this was the first time he had seen his father in ages, he wouldn't dare challenge his father's authority. He was nothing like his mom. The whole house fell dead silent, and even the adults were startled by his howl. Dora, however, admired that. She looked on at the children, almost delighted to see the fright in their eyes for once.

"You two have to understand that what you did was wrong," Dora put her fists on her hips, "You could've seriously injured yourself. I mean, what if that thing had bitten you, Emberly?"

Emberly lowered her head, scared to even imagine the thought of becoming one of those.

"I thought Emberly was your friend, Hunter. Don't you like her?" Penelope quizzed her cherished love.

"We started off a little rough but…" Hunter looked over at her. Their eyes met, "Yeah."

"So why would you endanger her like that if she can't climb as fast as you?"

Hunter bit his bottom lip to stop it from shaking. He sank further into the sofa,

"I never thought of it like that."

"You're both growing children. We know that. Sooner or later you'll be teenagers who want to do whatever they want to, but you guys have to understand that the world isn't a safe place for kids like you anymore. You have to be even smarter than you guys were before this all happened. One's actions affect everyone around them," Arne took a less antagonist approach, kneeled to their level, and looked at the both of them, "No one's saying that this is your fault, but just try and remember that okay, buddy?" Even though it was more so directed to Hunter it was a general discussion for both children.

Once it was quite clear the message had gotten through to the regretful kids, they were allowed to resume their fun, but only in the presence of the adults. They were no longer allowed to be on their own unless it was a trip to the bathroom. A bit extreme, but they all agreed that it was necessary.

A couple of minutes later, before Penelope could get started on dinner, she asked Dora if they could speak in private. The atmosphere between both mothers had developed ever since Jolyn turned out to be in the caring hands of the Lerouxs. Although she still felt that Penelope was much to blame, she no longer had to wonder if she would have to pin his death on her.

Penelope held the screen door open for Dora, telling her to close the front door behind her. As she reached in, she noticed Arne watch her with an unreadable expression from the kitchen. He turned away continuing to slice up some potatoes. After she shut the door, she walked onto the porch,

"I just wanted to, um, talk to you about something. Run it by you really quickly before things become misconstrued," Dora waited, sweeping aside loose strands of hair from her face. Penelope continued, "You'd do anything to protect your children, right Dora?"

"...Anything," she didn't hesitate.

"Then you should understand where I'm coming from when I say this," as badly as Dora wanted to tell Penelope to get to the damn point, she allowed her to beat around the bush for some time before she actually began taking again, "I want the best for my son and nothing but the best for my son. Sooner or later, Arne and I are going to have to leave with him."

Dora was taken aback by what Penelope was implying. She didn't think she was serious, but from the way she operated, she seemed to take herself very seriously,

"What do you mean? You just plan to take both of them and go? But that doesn't make any sense."

"It does to me. I'm happy that Arne found you and that he helped your family, but your debt was paid the moment you guys found me. You don't need to baby him anymore."

"Penelope you have no idea—"

"Just listen to me for a moment, please," Dora was obedient, as Penelope continued, "It's become a lot harder with six mouths to feed and...I just think that if it were just me and Arne, things would be a lot easier on us. We can live here in peace and never have to worry about what goes on out there."

As bothered as Dora was by Penelope's choice, she kept an elegant composure. If anything, she was far more angered by the situation they were all in now and how it could even sway Penelope to the decision she came to.

"So you send my children out there to do your dirty work and then you just want to throw us to the wolves?"

"I was hoping you'd understand."

"I do understand. I understand that you're selfish and you only care about no one but yourself. You make it seem like it's about your son, but it's really just about you."

"Maybe so, but I'm doing what I can to keep myself alive so I can be there for my son. The reason I need Arne around is so he can take the mantle if anything happens to me! You should understand how important it is for a son to be around his father."

"I've been all my children ever needed," Dora asserted. Penelope would be lying if she didn't believe those were words powerful enough to debunk her entire plot. But Dora wasn't finished, "You've got it all wrong. There's power in numbers. We need to stick together if we're going to try and survive this!"

"That might be true, but there are also complications," Penelope shook her head, "If Carlos and your children hadn't come here, they wouldn't be at that farm right now, would they?" she twisted. Dora couldn't argue against that. Penelope placed her hand on her own chest, "From the bottom of my heart, I am honestly thankful for what your kids are putting themselves through to keep me and my son alive, but I just want to try and make up for the years Arne and I have missed out on, and Arne can't repair a relationship with Hunter as long as you all are here. He's only protecting you all out of guilt."

Dora looked away as the breezes fluttered through her hair,

"Did you speak to Arne about this?" She could see Penelope nod from the corner of her eye, "And what did he say?"

"He understood for the most part. I've decided to let you guys keep the lakehouse...it's the least I could do after what your children did for me."

Dora took a calming breath to prevent herself from bursting into tears,

"Fine," Dora painfully gave in.

Since it was still Penelope's home, Dora sill had to play by her rules. She had no say over the young woman. Penelope expressed on again that she very much appreciated what Dora's children were doing, however, it came off completely patronizing. Dora rolled her eyes and laughed in disbelief after the exchange was unofficially over. She remained outside, hoping to cool off before she could return into the haven she already felt cast out of. So much for a developed relationship.


	7. Episode 7 - Old MacDonald Had a Farm

A fall garden: A garden with the promise of growing various vegetables throughout autumn until it reaches its first frost. That was the Leroux's ultimate plan. If meat and milk were no longer going to be as much of an option as it were before the reanimated invaded, they would have to turn to vegetables if they planned on avoiding starvation. There was nothing wrong with eating vegetables for the rest of the year, but it was a lack of protein that had Augustus worried. But beggars couldn't be choosers in this situation. It was the wisest choice left for them. If the calculation was done right, by the time the garden was finished flourishing, the farm would eventually be down to a couple of chickens. If they, miraculously, were able to get their hands on more livestock, they wouldn't have to worry about depending on a vegetable garden, but in the long run, it seemed like the smart direction to take. They weren't just going to be stumbling upon animals anytime soon. It had been a while since they touched their garden after picking it clean, so with the help of the twins and Carlos, they were all able to get their work done.

This day, in particular, was blazing. Cicadae rattled everywhere and were omnipresent as well as the heat hazes that shimmered along the lowlands in the distance.

The garden was quite average with the plan to expand it, which meant that everyone had to participate somehow if they wanted to get this job done double-time.

Since the rest of the garden had been untouched for quite a while, the first step was to cultivate the garden, which was basically to scrape and overturn any weeds and uneven clumps of grass that grew in where their fresh soil would be placed. Felix used some sort of red tilling machine that would make the job easier than doing it by hand. Thankfully, the soil still had signs of fertility and moisture. Without realizing that she had taken the hardest task, Ada had already regretted it the moment she began sweating. Using a gardening fork, she created multiple grooves through the soil. And by the time she was finished, the rest of the boys had to follow up by filling up between the thin fissures with a variety of vegetable seeds. It usually wasn't advised to plant so many different vegetables at once, but it was a chance they were willing to take because, by the time these plants had finished growing, it would probably be during a time where rationing livestock would be implemented. Augustus handed everyone seeds that grew best throughout autumn. Jolyn was responsible for the cauliflower and radishes. Felix took care of the carrots, which would be doubled more than any other vegetable, only because they felt it was the more important—next to broccoli that is. Noel had broccoli and kale, Carlos planted squash and beets, and Mathieu took care of the leafy greens. It was their least favorite, and they rarely ever planted it, but Augustus planted some asparagus just to be on the safe side. Now, there were many things to take into consideration when it came to planting in general, but even more so in the autumn. All they really had planned for these vegetables, other than sun and rain, were prayers. If the garden seemed to flourish well enough, they would have nothing to worry about for as long as next year's spring.

Once Ada was finished with her grooves, she removed her gloves and wiped away the sweat that glistened on her brown skin. She brought up an arm, sheltering her eyes from the harsh sunlight,

"You did a really good job with those grooves, Ada," Augustus complimented. He stood up, resting his hand on his lower back from bending over too long, "Did it five times faster than my boys could on their first tries."

Ada accepted the compliment, fully flattered by his comments. As it should be, it was taken as lighthearted humor by everyone else. Except for Noel. He didn't like being compared to people, especially some girl from New York. Once everyone was finished, Ada took the ample opportunity to cover the seeds underneath the soil. Although it was tiring, there was something absolutely rewarding about working hard. Just knowing that this garden would soon be offering plentiful vegetables, rich in vitamins and nutrients to feed the Leroux's, and possibly them, made her feel great about her accomplishments. Her arms felt like noodles, but if it meant having arms like Ines and her sons, it was worth it.

Once they were complete, someone strangely began to clap, which prompted everyone else to join in. Awkward claps were scattered across them all. However, after the fact, the cheers were something that was definitely needed in order to congratulate another for their teamwork. What would normally take the Leroux's two days, only took an hour and a half. How there was even such a time difference was beyond any of them. Maybe if you were desperate enough, you could get things done in a matter of time? Everyone stood close beside one another, unable to get over their achievements,

"Looks like we're all done here," Augustus exhaled, satisfied.

"You guys should be pretty set for the winter," Jolyn flattened a clump of soil with the bottom of his shoe.

"Gardening is actually a lot harder than it looks," Felix leaned on his garden hoe, smiling directly at Jolyn. The blushing teen turned away.

"How hard can it be? Don't you just need sun and water?" Ada asked, holding her rake in the same manner.

"It's not that simple," Mathieu enlightened, "Too much rain or sun can kill the plants. Rain can make mold and give them diseases."

"Diseases…?" Carlos' face turned, "I never knew plants could get diseases."

"Sure. There's…" he began counting on his fingers, "Wilting, leaf spotting, rusting, blight, different types of mildew," Mathieu could go on for hours, but he spared them the educating, "Thankfully we have a lot of time if they start to show signs. So by the time their first frost comes, we can just dig up what we can."

"Oh!" Augustus remembered, "l'ail! The garlic!"

Augustus walked off to retrieve some garlic cloves from the house, simultaneously releasing the juveniles free and allowing them to do whatever they wanted for the rest of the day. From the looks of it, the deal was the last thing on his mind. Who knows, maybe if they kept going at this pace, they could probably form some sort of allyship with one another and forget about their whole complication with Penelope. The bigger the group, the better. Farmers, three mothers, a military soldier—there were so many great minds it would be fascinating to see how formidable of a group they'd be. Hypothetically, of course.

Everyone returned their tools to the shed and spent the rest of their time outside in the sun after accepting tall glasses of cold lemonade. They all huddled around the porch, sitting and standing around the steps. Jolyn looked up and pointed out more reanimated that made their way through the streets in the distance.

"Oh mon Dieu, I'm just about done fighting those things," Felix puckered his lips from the zesty drink.

"What about you, Noel?" Jolyn pondered, "You look like you had loads of fun yesterday."

Noel looked around at all of the faces who looked back at him, waiting for him to call the shots. He brought the cup to his lips and nearly turned his entire glass upright as he finished the last of it in two or three swigs. He finished and rested his remaining glass of ice on the edge of the elevated porch. He walked off, covertly beckoning everyone to follow him into the broiling barn. He waited until everyone was inside and made sure they weren't being followed by either of his parents,

"I have an idea," Noel whispered. Everyone was all ears, just waiting to hear what he had planned. He switched his gazes between his brother, "Remember the Tremblay family?"

"Oui," Mathieu nodded, "What about them?"

"I was just thinking we give their farm a visit."

"A visit for what?"

Noel attempted to ease into it,

"...Maybe they could have some livestock there, I dunno."

"I don't know, Noel…" Felix stalled.

"We have to at least try...it's the only way," Noel motioned his hand towards the recent garden, "A garden that big is already hard enough to manage. If this garden fails, we might as well already start eating each other."

Ada shivered at the thought.

"And what if the Trem...blues...or whatever—what if they're are alive? Then what? You can't just take their food," Jolyn inserted himself into the discussion.

Noel reacted normally as if he was speaking to any brother who just riled him up because his reaction would usually be far worse when it was directed at Jolyn.

"Christ!" he exclaimed in his first language. He dug his claws into the air, slightly vexed by everyone's hesitation, "Listen to me! I'm not saying this is the best option. I'm just saying it's the only one. We really don't have much of a choice here. If they're alive, we'll make a deal with them, dammit! Hopefully, we can work together."

"That sounds foolish, Noel," Mathieu sighed.

"Plus, deals aren't exactly you guys' strong suit…" Jolyn began smiling with light chuckles. He looked over at everyone else, whose faces remained unamused. He tucked his chin into his neck and immediately wiped away his smile before clearing his throat, "...Sorry."

After a long pause and a couple of seconds of swapping nervous glances; one after another, they eventually agreed to go because of Noel's strong favoring of it. There was enough room for them all in the pickup truck and Carlos' Volkswagen, but the back of the pickup truck had to be vacant in order to bring back any of the animals if they managed to find any. And Carlos couldn't risk taking his own truck out there in case anything should happen. The recent influx of reanimated meant things could go askew at the farm any moment, so the more people there were to defend the farm, the better. Therefore, a few had to stay behind.

* * *

Ada sat quietly in the passenger's side, feeling the gusts of wind whirl throughout her rose-golden hair. All windows were fully rolled down, but there was nothing more that could be done to air out the trepidation. It was just extremely dreadful being with Noel unless you really knew him. He was the unsociable type and only prioritized getting things done—like his father in a sense. Not to mention, his indifference towards Ada was pretty telling and she picked up on it after their first day together. Because it would ultimately work in the long run, Ada swallowed her pride and hoped to get some communication going on,

"How long's this drive again?" the young girl asked.

 _Eight miles_. She answered before he could. Noel briefly removed his eyes from the vacant road,

"Just eight miles out. We have at least three more to go," Noel enlightened. She didn't answer. Instead, she looked back out of the window, having nothing but the roaring winds be a placeholder for their conversation. Eventually, he looked down at Ada's leg, which was shaking uncontrollably, "You nervous?" he asked without taking his eyes off the road much. Caught by surprise, she stopped shaking her thigh. She told him it wasn't anything to worry about, but he knew that this task was a lot to ask for considering that she was so young and had so much on the line, "You know you didn't have to come along. You could've made Jolyn or Carlos do it."

"Why, because they're boys?" Ada asked straightforwardly, sounding as if she were holding back an entire sentiment afterward. Noel made it clear that that wasn't what he meant in the slightest. Of course, Carlos and Jolyn wanted to take her place when she volunteered to accompany Noel for the ride, but there was something about Ada's pride that was admirable but could also dangerous. She just wouldn't give in. Since Ada arrived at the farm, it was like she had something to prove to the others. That she wasn't too soft of prissy. And Noel had himself to blame for that. Ada looked away, gathering some of her dancing hair out of her face. Her intentions weren't to come across so confrontational, "Sorry," she apologized, watching the neverending fields reel past her, "I can defend myself better than they can. That's all. I may not look it but I'm just more capable."

Noel quickly sized her up without her noticing,

"Who told you that?"

"I don't have to be told that," she looked over at him with a smug smirk.

After more silence, Noel did themselves a favor and put in a cassette that played some rather unpopular yet calming French music. He hummed to it, knowing every single word and having mildly captivating vocals. It did Ada quite some justice, easing her nerves. He watched her zone out and twirl her outlandish hair within her fingers,

"Do all New York girls do that with their hair? Is that a style?" Noel inquired.

Ada looked over at him and back at her reflection in the side-mirror,

"No," she answered, "I mean, sure, I've seen girls color their hair plenty of colors. Green, purple, white."

"White?" Noel made a face as if he ate something sour. He made sure to ask if she wasn't just confusing it with blonde, but Ada made it very clear she meant the color of the lines that parted the lanes on the road. He just couldn't believe it.

"Sometimes people don't want to fit in. They want to be different. Have individuality."

"Is that what you want? Individuality?" His eyes looked at the road a little longer, "Do you want to be different?"

Ada took a minute to answer, understanding that the question was still presentence,

"I used to," she glanced down into her lap "Not so much anymore."

A couple of minutes later and finally, they reached the farm. The white ranch sat dead-center, in the middle of the field surrounded by a short, white picket fence. Noel grabbed his shotgun from the back of the truck and he also grabbed a handful of shotgun bullets, enough to fill in his side and back pockets. While he prepared himself, Ada carefully studied her surroundings, calmed by the absence of any reanimated,

"Thank god, this farm isn't as big as yours," she expressed, sounding relieved.

She looked over her shoulder just as Noel walked right past her, encouraging her to follow him. Noel explained that even if it looked clear to always stay on her toes. They weren't sure who faced more of the reanimated, but their dead nature made them almost impossible to detect most of the time, so they weren't to be underestimated by even the most skillful.

The fence that led to the property wasn't open, but it was unlocked. Noel knew his way around since he had visited the Tremblays more than once, but there was something eerily quiet about the location. Frankly, Ada felt the same way for someone who had never been around here before. The popular "It's quiet. Too quiet" quote would surely suffice. Not a reanimated, let alone a bird, was in sight or earshot. The New Yorker questioned the farm because the property was nothing but a small lawn of recently trimmed grass. The older Leroux sibling enlightened that the only way of getting to the farm was by passing through the house to exit out back. In other words, that meant to be prepared for anything that could be locked inside. Similarly to the fence, the front door to the Tremblay's house was left ajar and unlocked. Noel cursed under his breath, using it as a way to express how freaked out he was without alarming the already shaken Ada.

Noel was the first to enter the home, keeping his shotgun pointed at every opening that he walked past. First the dining room, then the family room. Without as many steps, he made it into the kitchen, which directly led into the farm in the backyard. Noel fiddled with the multiple locks on the door, eventually getting it open and being greeted by a screen door. Thankful for the screen door's presence, a swarm of flies flew off the net. Yet it allowed a bothersome stench to enter the home. Noel covered his nose with his wrist, lowering his shotgun.

Ada coughed, seeing dead livestock scattered throughout the farm. Unlike the Leroux's farm animals, dehydration and starvation was the culprit behind these unfortunate souls. Just as Noel was about to let himself out, Ada rested her palm of Noel's wrist,

"W-where are you going?" She looked up at him.

"I'm gonna check and see if something at least survived. If we're lucky, we can take it back to the farm and nurse it back to health…" It was easy to notice the reluctance of Ada's face. He'd be lying if he wasn't judging, but a part of him understood that she was still a teen just two years away from adulthood. He cut her some slack, "Looks like no one is around. You can stay in here if you'd like."

Ada nodded with a satisfied sigh and walked as Noel let himself out and sink down the steps and off into the green slopes. She turned around and thought to explore the house a bit; starting with the kitchen. She checked the empty fridge, the semi-full cabinets, and eventually played with the sink. Unlike the farm she was staying at, they had no water. She moved on to play with the light switches—no electricity either. She moved on to another part of the house, staring at photographs hung separately on the wall: An older woman, an older man, a young boy, and a girl. There was a set of eight images on the wall and they were set chronologically. In the very last two photos, the father was no longer there—the seventh being the emptiest the family had looked compared to all the others. What was the reason behind this? _He must've passed away?_ She admired the pictures, somewhat seeing the Tremblay's family similar to her own. A mother and two children. She stared at the pictures a lot longer than she usually would, but she was glad that she had wasted her time doing something normal for once. She held her wrist while one side of her hair partially dropped over the right side of her face.

However, that's when she was started by the loud shattering of something. She gasped and turned around, hopeful that it was Noel returning from the yard. Yet, she saw a woman who froze in her steps; the same woman from the photos. She was alone. Her hair was unkempt, there were bags underneath her eyes, and her fingernails had clumps of dirt underneath them as if she had been doing nothing but playing in the dirt. She was dressed from head to toe in formidable gear and had a huge backpack that was the culprit behind the broken vase. Jolyn was ten times richer in empathy than Ada could ever be, but there was something about Mrs. Tremblay that troubled Ada. From the look on her face, it was like she had seen things that would kill a person. Ada recalled the empty look in the photograph, but she was even emptier in person. Her eyes were soulless and bleak. Frankly, the Chadwell was frightened by it and soon after, both had watery eyes. Ada got the message. She understood it, but she was afraid of what was next. Ada swallowed, stammering with nerves before she could speak,

She tried starting off with "hi", but as soon as she opened her mouth, Mrs. Tremblay dashed towards the front exit. Ada chased after her, hoping words would calm and change her reaction. But nothing seemed to be working. Far quicker than she was, Ada rested her hand on woman's shoulder with no intent to harm her,

"Hey! Wait!" she turned her attention away for a split second, "Noel!" she called.

Trapped in a corridor with welcoming ornaments, Mrs. Tremblay grabbed a ceramic plate decorated with images of rose petals and birds. Although Ada had noticed when entering the household, she was now seeing it up close and personal. The plate was smashed unto her head, causing Ada to release Mrs. Tremblay and collapse to the floor. Heavily dazed, Ada's eyes weakly moved around, trying to keep her mind conscious. Helpless and unable to move her legs, she watched as the stranger flew out of the house and left the entrance wide open. After her weakened eyes allowed her to see nothing more than the broken plate scattered over the floor, all Ada could remember seeing was a thin strip of light and then...darkness.

Noel, on the other hand, was still searching for some signs of life in any of the deceased farm animals, but there was no such luck. Crouching by a baby lamb, it hurt his stomach to see so much decaying, especially to something so innocent. This new world showed no mercy and it wrung his insides whenever he saw something like this. It took a lot of him to not be controlled by it. To not be overwhelmed in devastation. He closed his eyes, hoping that he could come up with some other plan, but his eyes snapped open to the sound of something breaking. He searched around, confused about where the noise came from. That's when he heard Ada begin shouting his name. He figured that she might've accidentally broken something, but once he heard more shattering, he picked up his pace and began running.

He bulldozed into the house, his attention primarily grabbed by the opened entrance before he could notice Ada laying on the floor; her legs being noticed. He quickly ran towards her and rested the shotgun beside her.

"Hey! Adaline!" He tried nudging her back to consciousness, "Adaline! C'mon, try to get up!" Soft groans escaped her lips as she was slowly coming to. She could hear a distorted voice that eventually evened itself out into who she could easily identify as the Leroux. But before he could help her any longer, he was in disbelief to hear the sputtering of his truck's engine, "No..." he uttered before diligently leaving her side.

Nearly slipping over the broken porcelain pieces, he managed to stumble to the front door and see Mrs. Tremblay in the driver's seat of his old pickup. He shouted some words in French, hoping it would be enough to get her attention, but once she looked up at him, a look of horror was burned into her face. She knew Noel, but she also knew he was skilled with a shotgun—the very weapon he had equipped in his hand. Once Noel realized that not even a familiar face was going to stop her, he could feel his heart sink into his stomach. He thought he had embraced all of the repercussions of this world, but he was endlessly being proven wrong. Once the truck began to move, he jumped from the porch and began to quickly cut through the lawn the quickest he could. Once he made it out of the fence, the pickup truck was already speeding down the road, however, it wasn't out of shooting range.

Hesitantly, Noel raised his shotgun and aimed it at the truck that was speeding down the street,

"Tirer...tirer...tirer…" he muttered to himself repeatedly.

Finding it so much harder than it seemed, Noel finally pulled the trigger. The shotgun shell did as it normally did and exploded once it was fired, causing its expanded pellets to hit the back of the license plate and taillights. The vehicle swerved in fear but ultimately retained it speed as it straightened itself on the road and vanished down a cut lane. Noel couldn't believe he just lost the family truck. He had never wanted to scream so loudly before. It was only a matter of seconds before he had an outburst of something. He channeled all of his anger into his leg and gave one furious stomp-kick to the fence he was closest to. He didn't believe he could actually do it, but the fence broke on impact. He ran a hand through his hair, astonished by what just happened. What could this mean once he showed up empty handed? Suddenly, He was frightened by something stumbling into his peripheral vision. He jumped and suddenly looked over, seeing Ada on the other side of the fence. She too was at a loss for words. She didn't know whether or not this was her fault since she knew she could have done more to stop her. Noel pulled himself together in front of the injured teen, who was holding herself together a lot better than he was. He pointed to the side of his forehead, pointing out a minor wound on the side of hers. She reached up and touched the exact place on her ringing forehead. When she removed her hand and looked at her fingertips, her very hand trembled at the sight of blood. Personally, she had never seen herself bleed so much.

The loss of the truck was a significant one, but Noel knew it was best not to dwell on it. However, he knew that his mind would never fully be off of it. They returned back to the house and searched for some first aid appliances. The most either of them could find was an old dry rag, but by the time they found it, the sticky blood on Ada's face dried up. It felt criminal being in someone else's home without a granted entry and it made them both feel like burglars,

"It was her right?" Noel questioned, pointing at the mother in a photograph he was holding. It was just to be sure.

"Yeah. I recognize her from the photos."

Noel remained seated on the toilet while Ada stood by the doorway. He had such a hard time understanding why Mrs. Tremblay did what she did. While deep in thought, he glanced over at the bin by his leg, seeing locks of cut brown hair. As he was getting ready to speak once again, Ada quickly hushed him. She concentrated before looking back at him with the uttermost bewilderment,

"Do you hear that?"

Noel looked out of the bathroom window, having Ada scoot in beside him. They could hear the continuous horn that definitely belonged to Noel's truck. Since the bathroom window looked directly over the farm, the rest of the horizon was being blocked by a small hill the streets circled around. Ada exited the bathroom, looking effortlessly for a room that gave a decent view of the streets. Entering another bedroom, Ada opened a door only to be greeted by a reanimated. She closed the door, reached into her pocket as Noel stood close. She pulled out the switchblade that Mathieu was kind enough to lend her and reentered the room. Barging in, reanimated was knocked back by the violent opening of the door. Without even thinking, she dug the knife in through the top of it head—albeit little sloppy, the reanimated was thrown back, bouncing against the unkempt mattress and fumbling to the floor.

Noel was gutsy enough to call out her error when facing the corpse, but her attention was elsewhere. The longer she stared, the more she hoped she was wrongfully realizing that it was Mrs. Tremblay's teenage son. He was a tall and lanky figure, wearing clothes obviously meant for Sunday. Immediately, thoughts of her brother came to mind and she immediately understood Mrs. Tremblay's distress. If the son was no longer 'here', what about the daughter? Ada breathing became shaky and her vision blurred through the tears as if she were underwater. The desire to cry was powerful, and she covered her mouth as sobs fought their way out of her. Noel grabbed her by the shoulders and delicately turned her away,

"Just don't look," he said respectfully, "You did what you had to," While Ada stood back a little, Noel approached to the window and pushed aside the hand-knit drapery, able to hear the noises much more clearly. The honks had stopped for the time being and regressed to what they had initially heard before. It was unintelligible, crowd-like clamor. The commotion was enough to take Ada out of her turmoil and get her to join in. She and Noel settled their eyes on the road that cut through the block and wrapped around the hills. But what they saw stunned the hell out of them: A river of reanimated, "Holy shit…" Noel swore. In the middle of it all was Noel's truck with Mrs. Tremblay trapped inside. She made the biggest mistake by trying to ram through the reanimated, eventually wedging her car on six bodies that had not yet been killed by the brutal force of the vehicle. The more she pumped the gas, all it did was spin the tires fast enough to grind and blend the rotting flesh of the dead. She was stuck and the school of reanimated were distracted by her appearance, "Change of plans. Let's go."

"But, what about her?" Ada foolishly asked, still teary-eyed.

"What _about_ her?!"

"Shouldn't we…" Ada shook her head in frustration, "I don't know, shouldn't we save her or something?"

Noel made a face,

"You want to save the same lady who hit you on the head and left us for dead?!"

"She was scared!"

Without skipping a beat, Noel made it clear that there was nothing they could do for the Tremblay's. He understood that Ada felt some sort of sympathy for her, but she was good as dead and the car was as good as gone. Before Ada could think of something else to suggest, he stepped over the dead reanimated in the room and exited, giving Ada no choice but to follow. Quickly, they ran out of the house, exited the yard, and beamed down the road that led back to their farm. If they were quick enough, they could distance themselves before the horde caught up to them.

* * *

It had been far too long and the sun was already beginning to sink out of the ominous skies. Mr. Augustus eventually picked up on the lies that were meant to cover for Noel and Ada's absence, but things just weren't adding up. It didn't take much for the remaining brothers—and Jolyn—to confess where they had taken off to. Mostly out of the fear of being beaten up. Carlos stood by his Volkswagen with his keys jingling in hand, waiting for the rest of them to show up. He twirled them around his fingers before he could unlock his car and hop in the front seat, impatiently starting the car and preparing to reverse out of the fence he opened beforehand. Now that his car was in the street, he looked over and saw Felix, Mathieu, and Jolyn sprinting to his truck. Jolyn opened the back door and climbed into the backseat with Felix. Mathieu ran around the front and buckled himself into the passenger's side,

"You were just going to leave without us?" Mathieu questioned.

"You were taking too long."

"So, you planned on searching for them eight miles out without any directions?" Jolyn leaned between the front seats.

"Look—" Carlos started.

"She's my sister, y'know. You aren't the only one who's worried about her. So calm down."

Without much of an exchange, Carlos stepped his foot on the gas and got moving. He didn't think finding Adaline was that big of a deal until he hit the road. The brothers who claimed to have visited the Tremblay's on multiple occasion were having remembering the right directions to take. After making one or two u-turns, the brothers were now positive that the were on the right track.

It was after dark now. Speeding down the road on a quarter of a tank, Carlos' eye was caught by two figures lazily creeping through the fields way beyond the perimeters of the road. Even still, the reanimated managed to hook his gaze for no longer than a couple of seconds—sheer amazement was all it. Something they never stopped invoking. But, he was so focused on finding his beloved, that the dead was the last thing on his mind. He looked away shortly afterward and heard a voice yelling from the backseat. It was Jolyn, tell him to stop the car. With no intention to fully remove his foot from the gas, he barely slowed down. He looked into the rearview mirror, having Jolyn bring his attention back to the two forms out in the deepening fields. Looking out, Carlos could see both of them waving back at him. Was the dead capable of waving? His tired screeched, nearly causing everyone to fly from their seats. Apologizing and quickly making sure that everyone was unharmed, he reversed while making a u-turn and drove back to a stop closest to their fatigued comrades. Noel and Ada were taking tedious and painful steps through the fields, having already walked five miles while taking down the dead on the way back. Ada stumbled out of the weeds and wheats and jumped into Carlos' arms, who greeted her before anyone else could. Jolyn eventually found a way in and managed to hug her as well. Both Mathieu and Felix grabbed hold of their brother too; not necessarily from embracement but weakness. Noel breathlessly pulled himself apart from the group and sat on the edge of the Volkswagen's floor,

"What happened to your forehead?!" Carlos panicked as he pulled his face away from the sticky dried blood,

"It's okay. Just don't worry about it..." she sounded exhausted. She dragged her legs across the pavement and sat in the passenger's seat as everyone watched her.

"What in the world happened out there?!" Carlos asked Noel.

Noel glared up at him, already annoyed by the unwanted assertiveness in his voice. However, too tired to put up a fight, he obliged after seeing that everyone else's face contained the same question,

"Yeah, where's the truck?!" Mathieu inquired.

"The Tremblays are dead," Noel watched each of his brothers' horrified reactions, "Ada got into a little frenzy with Mrs. Tremblay and she hit Ada over the head with...a vase or...something..."

"...It was a plate…" Ada softly corrected from the front seat.

"...Then she took the truck and drove off," he completed.

Carlos' nostrils flared up and his skin began to boil,

"See! Didn't I say this was a bad idea?!" He exchanged looks with everyone, lasting longer on Noel, " _You_ told me you were going to protect her at all costs," He quickly switched his gaze over to Ada who was looking at him from the front, "Didn't I tell you to let me go instead?"

"Just calm down, Carlos…" she attempted, "That's the least of our worries right now."

"Least of our worries? You could've died!"

"Well, I'm not dead, okay?! We're just thirsty, hungry, and really tired."

There was a short and awkward pause between the couples exchange of profane words, but there was something that was going to end it all. She faced forward and slouched into her seat, devoid of a care in the world,

"There's a horde on the way..."

Noel looked up at all of them again, seeing a change in their reactions. He planned on saying something but didn't plan on dropping it like a bomb in the manner Ada did.

"A horde? What do you mean a horde?" Jolyn furrowed his brows, "W-wha…? Like a horde of those things out there?"

"There was probably over a hundred of them. Mrs. Tremblay drove into them and bought us some time," It was only a matter of time before Noel could work up enough energy to become vex as usual, "That bitch...I can't believe she did that. After all, we did for her and her family?"

Everyone looked at Ada as she and Noel were regularly taking turns in telling their versions of stories. She could have defended Mrs. Tremblay's actions but chose not to. All she could remember was seeing the woman face-to-face. It wasn't the same happy mother who she saw in those photographs. She was a victim, looking for a way out like the rest of the world. From that point on, Jolyn persuaded everyone to quickly wrap up their disappointments and head back to farm since it was nearing midnight. Now was the time where the reanimated were coming out of hiding. They were mysteriously emerging through the bark of trees and rising from the depths of the dark cold soil.

Driving back was a lot quicker, and the party of youths reached the farm in just a couple minutes. The same headlights that were used to guide their passage on the rural roads, was the same light that shown on Augustus and Ines, who was waiting for them at the farm gate. Immediately, all three of the Leroux brothers could feel his icy gaze penetrate them through the layers of glass, metal, and cushion that made up the vehicle. He welcomed them onto the property, allowing Carlos to park his van right behind the gardening shed. When Augustus saw all of them, including Ada and Noel, climb out he couldn't hold in the laughter; one where amusement wasn't its source. He possessed a militant stance, one of which everyone did not dare to walk away from or compete against. There was some confrontation afoot, and the only outsider who was aware of it was Jolyn. Carlos and Ada had yet to see the worst of it. All six of them were obviously disheveled from their little journey. So instead of standing beside one another like some marching unit, they were all clumped together.

Augustus started, asking anyone where Noel and Ada went. Being the oldest, the blonde Leroux took responsibility and answered his father's question. However, he answered it very vaguely.

"We went to the Tremblay's farm, to look for food," he answered, impressively keeping his composure.

The answer was simple, but was it enough? Augustus' next question was bound to get answers and definitely his disapproval. It was clear as day that the truck was no longer around. What happened to it was the big mystery. And even though he was already fuming with rage over the fact that it wasn't around, he had to ask the question anyway,

"What happened to the truck?"

Noel swallowed, hesitating to answer it. The crickets chirped in his place as his eyes weren't able to meet his parent's. Ada took a few steps beside him, she held his wrist letting him know that there was nothing to worry about. For the first time ever, Noel was willing to let someone else take his place, even if it were a seventeen-year-old girl from New York. Ada started,

"It was—"

But she was cut off by Augustus and even more taken aback by Jolyn's sudden reaction to pull her further into the group. He made it very clear that she wasn't to blame here and there was only one person at fault. At that point, he stood with his arms crossed and waited for Noel's answer. Once Augustus realized that the audience may have been what was behind his reluctance, he was kind enough to dismiss everyone back into the house. Normally, people would run to sanctuary, but everyone was afraid for Noel and remained before Augustus could tell them to leave a second time. Ines rounded everyone up like a herd of young sheep, delicately resting her hands on all of their shoulders until they were all directed to the home. She was the last to follow, constantly looking back at the devil-red eyes that monitored her every action up until she was back into the house.

Augustus walked away from the spot as well and called for Noel to follow. But instead of following everyone else, they took a stroll to the back of the side of the barnyard—a blind spot to everyone else in the house. Even if he was beginning to lose his patience, he figured that the endgame would absolutely be worth it. Once Noel's sluggish walk finally caught up with him, he stood a safe distance from his father,

"Did you lose the car?" Augustus barely wasted time.

Noel nodded subtly with slight trembles. Tears built up on the edge of his waterline, just knowing what was going to happen next. Augustus exhaled and put his hands on his hips, giving the illusion that he was attempting to come to terms with it differently. However, like a feline pouncing on his prey, he leaped after Noel. Noel's reaction was delayed, but he tried to escape. Augustus tightly grabbed Noel by the thin hairs on his head and tugged it backward with the intention of ripping a handful out of his skull. Once Noel faced him, Augustus channeled the built up anger and hatred into one fist and swung at Noel's face. Noel grunted and whined, twisting and stumbling backward into a nearby tree. Before Noel could recover, Augustus punched him in the side and swung both fists at his face, flinging him to the dry ground,

"AGH!" Noel screamed, holding his side once he landed. He cried and squirmed on the ground, reaching up to feel his face. Blood dripped out of the corner of his eye and one of his nostrils. Augustus looked down on him, lacking any feel for the boy who suspected death from him. Noel uttered words through his sobs in French, "Why?! Why do you always treat me like this?!"

"I've been hard on all of you boys!"

"No…" Noel said breathlessly, attempting to turn himself over, "It's always me. It's _always_ been ME!"

Augustus gave it some thought, still having his veiny fists clenched. He knew deep down there was some truth to what Noel was saying,

"Well, maybe it's because you've always been the most difficult! From the time you were a kid, you just never listened. Felix and Mathieu were never liked that. I didn't have to put my hands on them multiple times for them to listen. They got it every once in a while, but they always fell into place. You on the other hand? There was always something so rebellious about you...and...I hated that. I've been using you as an example for those two boys so if they _ever_ disrespect me, they'll know what's coming!" He spat, "You bastard."

Noel hadn't heard those words escape his father's lip since he was the age of fourteen because the family knew how it made him feel. Ines especially. Noel was hands and knees into the dirt and clenched a handful of dirt in his right hand. He looked over his shoulder, holding his injured eye shut,

"Fuck you..." he said.

Augustus couldn't believe his own ears. In his mind, he felt that _this_ was the disrespect that he was referring to over the years. After he vocalized that, he prepared to give Noel a kick to the face, but Noel rolled out of the way and pelted a flurry of dirt and pebbles at his father's face. Augustus yelled and covered his eyes, trying to avoid rubbing them, whereas the oldest son struggled to stand and ultimately rushed onto his father and threw themselves both onto to the ground. Noel straddled his father and delivered blow after blow unto his father—blows so powerful that he needed to rest his palms unto the ground for support after unleashing so much energy one by one.

Soon after, Noel was the least bit unfazed by the multiple footsteps that ran up behind him and pulled him off his father. Ines ran in afterward with Ada and Carlos, all shocked by the outcome of their talk and the more intense outcome of their brawl. Ada looked over at Noel, who was almost unrecognizable. He had quite a number done on him, but he was prepared to do so much worse to his father. It was far too complicated on who to side with, and Ines loved them both. This was something that regularly happened, but never in her life did she expect Noel to stand up for himself. Jolyn could say that Augustus had it coming for the most part, but Ines felt differently. This was a sign that Noel was beginning to change after years of the abuse. She didn't want that. Considering that he was much older, Ines walked to Augustus' side and helped set him up upright,

"Mon amour, why?" She looked at Noel, holding back tears.

His mother's confusion was enough to put a damper on his current emotions, and he resisted fighting against his brothers. He was cut so deep and so saddened that he quickly turned himself away from the group,

"Don't you dare step foot back into that house!" he heard Augustus relentlessly instigate.

He was wiping his face of any blood and cupped a hand underneath his bloody nose. Noel groaned and held his injured ribs as he tried to walk as fast he could. Suddenly, he stopped and stared at the reanimated walking the streets. Dark thoughts of 'what if?' swirled in his mind until his attention was deterred by a voice. He could hear his name being called and as he briefly looked back to see who it was, he could see Ada running after him. He continued walking to the house,

"Not now, Ada."

Able to outrun him she circled around him and looked up at his face,

"Oh my god…" she reached up to touch his bruises.

He turned his face away and forcefully lowered her wrist,

"Stop it."

As weird as it was, Ada felt like the polar opposites had a lot more in common they would like to admit. The trip to the Tremblay farm was more than enough time to let the two get to know one another. And as much as Noel like to play the tough guy act, he was another damaged guy underneath. There was still a young boy who went unhealed for plenty of years,

"The black eye?" Ada looked into his tearful eyes, "Did he do that?" Noel's silence could do nothing but confirm. He eyes shied away for only a second, "How long has he been doing this…" she rubbed his wrist.

"Not now, Ada. You won't understand," he shoved past her.

"I-I understand more than you think, you know?" Noel heard once he walked up the porch and opened the door. Ada remained in the same spot, but with her head tilted, "My dad was the same way."

Noel stared at Ada for a moment before entering the house. There was nothing more that could be done.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, readers. It's been a long time since I posted my last chapter, I usually try to post them weekly, so I'm very sorry for the wait. I've been super busy and I've been suffering from some writer's block. But as some of you know, I've been trying to treat/format this fic as if it were an actual series. So, this chapter will be the mid-season finale of Season 2. I plan on getting started on Season 2B very soon, so Season 2 will resume in about two or three months. I have really big plans for 2B and things will really begin to take a turn to ramp things up for Season 3. So, again, thanks a lot to you guys who have stuck it out with me through this fic and I hope you all continue reading.** **I'll be re-publishing Episode 7 every now and then to bump the fic on the** **TWD** **archive and hopefully garner more readers. Hope you guys understand. Thanks!**

 **Also, please be sure to check out ' _Survive the Walking Dead'_ (by millenialflowerchild)** **. You won't be disappointed.**


	8. Episode 8 - Father's Son

It was the same night as the predicament. The eldest Leroux brother was laying in bed, staring at the video noise on his television as if he were watching something vastly intriguing. Indeed it was, but the feeling that it gave out was different than what it used to be: Somberness. Gloom. Maybe even a bit of devastation. During nights like this, Noel remembered locking himself in his room, turning on the television, and going unbothered for the rest of the night. It was his way of blowing off steam. Then, he'd wake up the next day and had to act like nothing ever happened.

"Television will rot your brain" is what people normally said. "It isn't good for you"—but Noel would do anything right about now to watch any of his favorite cartoons. The only working television in the house was the one in the living room, the one his father had completely taken over with his French oldies. Not even webbed within a daydream, he heard soft knocks on his bedroom door, a knock he didn't recognize. It was far too calm, and subtle to be his heavy-handed father, impatient brothers, or brooding mother. After the knocking subdued, Noel turned his head as he laid diagonally across his mattress and looked at the door. Usually, his family members would enter without order, but this particular person waited. As the footsteps began to depart, he felt a temptation to softly call out Ada's name, hearing the footsteps stop and make their way back to the bedroom door. There was a bit of hesitation on both sides. The doorknob was held for a bit before he allowed whoever it was to waltz on in. Just as he had hoped, the engaging mademoiselle entered his bedroom and quietly shut the door behind her. She delicately walked in barefoot, burying her toes in his soft maroon rug that extended towards his bed, along the way. She wore a green tank top and comfy black shorts. He set himself up on the edge of his bed, revealing a miserable and harmed face,

"Does it hurt?" she remained by the doorway.

"Feels like heaven actually," he groaned while standing.

He walked over towards his dresser, which held a single, lit lamp. He closed in towards the mirror and studied his bruised face and hemorrhaged eye. He reached for one of the many band-aids he had hidden in his draw and searched for a box that wasn't empty. He attempted to put it on a small opened wound on his chin, but as he attempted to lift his arm, he winced, still dealing with the recently inflicted soreness. Ada appeared at his side and before he could even object, she was already grabbing her own band-aid, one she found far more suitable. Carefully, she took the tabs off the adhesive ends and reached up to properly put it on his chin. As he looked down at her, he took some time to realize that her locks of rose-gold hair was indeed gorgeous despite his initial thoughts. It was something that was growing on him and he felt that it complimented her divine face as well as her skin tone. He thanked her once she was finished gently putting it on, to which she simply said, "you're welcome" and shut his drawer for him. They made eye contact for a brief moment, however, it was a very impactful one; one that could send jitters down their spine. Although it was intended, Noel nervously reached up to examined the cut she had gotten during her encounter earlier that day. He kept his hand on it for a while, rubbing his relaxed fingers on the small slit. His breaths could be heard picking up through his nose and then later through his lips,

"I see it stopped bleeding. That's good."

"Yeah," she kept it very briefly, blinking rapidly from uncertainty.

He risked going the extra mile by softly combing his fingers through her hair and pushing a lock behind her ear. She felt as though she was being caressed and closed her eyes, ignoring his unwashed hands. However, shortly afterward, she ended up removing his hand with her own, holding onto it for quite a while before lowering it back to his side. Ada opened her eyes and looked at him, understanding that the feelings she never foresaw developing were arguably inapt. And although he felt it too, it was far too close to the end of the world for Noel to even give a damn. He had been through far too much shit to have something else pried from his hands when he deserved it. He countered assertiveness and held her very same wrist, slowly pulling her closer. He leaned forward and rested his forehead unto hers. To her surprise, she wasn't very...surprised, nor did she resist his urges. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and it was enough to send the pair flying apart like they had been pulled by invisible tethers. Noel, almost demoralized, slowly backed up onto the edge of his bed while Ada remained posted by his dresser with her arms crossed securely across her chest, a look of incertitude on her face as though it transferred through their previous contact. Noel invited whoever was waiting on the other side to come in. Coincidentally, Carlos stuck his head in the room who claimed he was searching for Adaline.

"Hey, have you seen…" Carlos' eyes scanned the room mid-sentence when he was somewhat surprised to see the very young woman he had been searching for by Noel's dresser, "Oh, there you are," without further admission, Carlos squeezed himself into the bedroom, leaving the door ajar as he stood beside it. In nothing but a tank top and some boxers, he stared at the both of them for a while. Neither one of them welcomed him, nor could they look him in the eye—something he found extremely off. To break the silence, Carlos immediately stated his intentions to Noel. He sounded like he was holding in a bunch of air, "I just came to check if you were doing alright after...everything. Nor, should I have blamed you for what happened to Ada today. You had no control over that. I understand you really wanted to protect your family and I think I would've seen myself doing the same thing," he apologized.

Noel looked up at him with an illegible stare, dark circles blooming underneath his dull blue eyes,

"Don't worry about it," he kept it short.

"Alright…" Carlos waved, eager to leave the atmosphere "Goodnight," Carlos nodded after the uneasiness had unfortunately reestablished itself. He turned to exit the room, but Before he could step out he turned back to look at Ada, who hadn't spoken a word since he entered, "You coming?"

"Huh?" Ada looked up, breaking free from shackled thoughts, "Oh, sure. I'll be there in a minute."

Carlos narrowed his eyes at her, having the irresistible urge to avoid leaving them alone by whatever means necessary. He clenched his square jawline, something that only she could interpret. It was already a rowdy and overdue night, so she did whatever she could to avoid more trouble, especially in the presence of Noel who was probably just as high-strung.

"It's getting pretty late and you know I don't like going to bed alone."

Jolyn was going to be there, but Ada compiled without question as if he was one of her daycare students she had to look after. She swapped rapid and uncertain gazes with Noel. Still, it was enough for them to question if it felt any different than what occurred between them before Carlos walked in. She wished him a good night and he silently accepted it with a rather obligated nod. He watched her walk out as Carlos reached in to conclusively close the door behind the both of them. Once they were out of sight, the battered up Leroux threw himself back on his bed and squeezed his pillows for dear life. He wasn't going to let this particular night crack him—especially his sad excuse of a father—there was just no way. However, things were easier said than done, considering how many times he told himself that in the past.

* * *

Dora was one of the first to wake up that morning. Soon afterward, she was followed by Penelope, who was always on point when it came to feeding her son breakfast. Hunter and Emberly were a priority when it came to food, but it was Hunter most of all. It didn't take long for Dora to realize, one afternoon, that Penelope was becoming extremely passive aggressive when it came to making food for Emberly or all of the guests in her home. She would make comments such as, "Looks like I have two kids now" or "I guess I'm the maid around here". It didn't particularly bother Dora because she understood not everyone had the guts and grit to ever do what she, herself, was willing to do—a jab at her unconfidence if anything. From the weeks that she spent with Mrs. Yeun, she came to the conclusion that Penelope was, in fact, a very selfish woman. Was it a bad trait to have, especially around these times? Probably not. But could Dora blame her? Absolutely—especially after all the hell they had been through just to get Arne to be reunited with her again. Not once had Dora looked at Hunter as if he were a liability or some type of unwanted responsibility. From the time she stepped foot into the lake house, he became a prize in her eyes no different from her children and Emberly. All Emberly became to Penelope was a distraction that could put her son in danger despite him doing all the endangering with his hyper tomfoolery. The parenting that was majorly induced by their upbringing was drastically different and it showed clear as day. It started off rough between them, but the more Dora got to know Penelope, she developed a sense of pity for her. Deep down, she felt that Penelope could never amount to her. It sounded harsh in her mind, but she didn't doubt that Penelope probably felt similarly.

According to her recently acquired wristwatch, it was about 8:00 AM. It was time to wake everyone up despite getting about six to four hours of sleep a night. The unspeakable surprise of a reanimated intruding their home hadn't happened yet, but it had people on their toes even in their sleep. Dora couldn't rest for that reason—that and because she knew that today was the day she'd finally be seeing her children again, Carlos included. Emberly and Hunter walked downstairs, both still having unbrushed their teeth and having sleep in their eyes,

"Tuna sandwiches again?" Hunter groaned as he sat at the table. Penelope was stressed enough by the way things turned out and that Arne hadn't taken her on the road as he had promised. Granted, she learned a thing or two from Dora when it came to discipline, but she had grown irritated and snappy since she wasn't able to live the pompous life her parents worked so hard to pass down to her. Teaching yoga to a bunch of mid-aged, upper-class women was the life and was one of her main ways of releasing stress. But things were drastically different now beyond her wildest dreams. She was in an inverted world, sealed off in a crowded home with barely any privacy and rarely any quiet. The sounds and smells of the swashing lake was one of her prime treasures, but she could no longer hear it. The world was stripped of its bliss, and that included muting anything meaningful and full of life and energy. Seconds before placing the paper plate in front of Hunter, she retracted it after his comment and glowered at him. The same snarky smile that appeared on his face whenever he got in trouble or got called out, showed, "What?" he mumbled under his breath.

"Hunter Benjamin Yeun!" Penelope's pitch elevated on each syllable. She looked over at Arne, who was sitting beside Merwyn, trying to keep himself awake, "Do you know what your father and Merwyn had to go through to get this yesterday night?!" Hunter glanced over at his father who, honestly, didn't really seem to give a rat's ass on what was happening. Frankly, he was sick of the shitty food too. He looked back at her and frowned. Penelope threw the plate down in front of him, "Why can't you be more like Emberly!? She never complains!"

Emberly, who was already digging into her sandwich, froze and looked up completely decomposed with spicy tuna surrounded around her stuffed mouth. She resumed chewing slowly while clearing her mouth with a napkin. Generally, Hunter had a hard time apologizing since it came so rare to him, but she could pick up on when he was regretful of his actions. Once it was telling, Penelope turned away slightly relieved that he dug into his sandwich without any further opposition. She circled around the counter in the center of the kitchen and stood beside Dora, who was picking up where Penelope left off and prepared two sandwiches each for Arne and Merwyn. Lastly, they would make something for themselves.

"Can you believe that?" she scoffed. Her odd confiding in Dora must've really meant she was reaching a breaking point, because the two had been nothing but pseudo-cordial since their last confrontation, "I can't believe it took the world ending for me to realize how much I spoiled that boy."

Dora didn't answer. Instead, she circled the counter and searched through the multiple plastic bags cluttered in one of the corners of the massive kitchen. She passed Penelope two small bags of classic Lay's potato chips, suggesting that a little crunchy contrast would be something to compliment their mushy breakfast. Not to mention, children loved snacks. They'd live off it if it were up to them. Penelope grabbed the bags and offered them to the children, seeing a noticeable change in their moods. It didn't make much of a difference, but their intake had become a lot more enthusiastic, even for the adults.

An hour later, after everyone had finished their breakfast, it was time for Arne and Dora's road trip. For a change, Arne suggested she drive his vehicle, but more so because he was tired from a scavenge that lasted all day with Merwyn the other day. She didn't think much of it, but being given to take control of Arne's truck was like being rewarded the noblest of statuses when it came to his trust with others. If it was the only way to see her children, it was improbable to refuse. As they both got seated themselves inside the car, Dora was amazed that she never realized how different the driver's side was from an ordinary car. With a few pointers, she finally managed to power on the car, but there was one unexpected problem that they definitely foresaw and had no idea how it would be dealt with: Fuel. The gas meter showed that the car was running on just under a quarter-filled gas tank. It would be enough to take them to the farm, but definitely not enough to bring them back. Overall, it had become a deal-breaker. It had been only three days, but Dora was beginning to feel a sense of homesickness ever since her children left. It upset her that they were so many miles away without any modern way to get in touch with her. Between Arne and Dora, much didn't have to be said. All he could do was apologize. All she had to do was understand. If she was on her own, it was a risk she was willing to take. She'd even go on foot if she didn't know any better, but Arne couldn't leave his family behind to serve as some apocalyptic escort. The ex-soldier certainly felt bad, because in no way was he endorsing the suspected idea that her children were only a means to an end for her and his family. He valued them, but he just wanted her to think of the possibilities of what could happen. He cursed under his breath, not really knowing how to vocally reassure her that it wasn't how it seemed. Finally, Dora went there,

"There could be a gas station nearby. There was a bunch on the drive down here," but this was coming from the city. It was different in the countryside, "Maybe the family has fuel. They said they had a lot of things for their car."

He scrambled to make sense of things,

"What if the car doesn't even make it halfway there?'

"If it were Hunter, I'd let you go."

"Dora please," he placed his palms together, "It's not that, it's just…"

She leaned in from the steering wheel, her eyes watering.

"Those are _my_ children, Arne. The only two children I know are alive! And—" she took a breath, threw her head back and covered her eyes as she pinched them shut., She recomposed herself, not willing to break down in some trivial Humvee, "My children are there because...because of her!" she darted her finger towards the lakehouse, having the anger show in her trembling lips, "You owe me this!"

Arne didn't answer. He couldn't. Instead, Dora removed the keys and placed it in his hand after instructing him to show his pale hands. She exited the vehicle, knowing that this was a battle she had already lost from the beginning. With him under Penelope's spell, there was no way they could get around this. They both returned to the lake house, informing everyone of the predicament once looks of surprise were thrown at them from returning only a couple of minutes after leaving.

* * *

According to Ines, who didn't articulate her English words very meaningfully—but was often given a pass because she never really meant what she said—everyone needed a break from one another. What she really meant was that everyone just needed a break in general. In reality, everyone needed a break from Augustus.

Sleep was hard to come by, and although the young adults were given a chance to sleep in for the rest of the early afternoons, only a few of them gained the instinct to wake with the sun. Jolyn had always been a homebody before it all, so sleeping hours on end was something that came easily to him. When he awoke in his guest bedroom, he looked down to see that the blankets on the floor, used for Carlos to sleep on, was neatly folded. His sister who sometimes shared the bed, depending on her mood the night before, was nowhere in sight. Jolyn got himself out of bed, brushed his teeth and quickly got himself together wearing recently acquired clothes from the dead they had terminated a few days ago: A medium navy ribbed sweater and some black shorts that had been worn and washed so much it was ironically a light black. Opening the bathroom door, Jolyn was startled by Noel who was waiting by the doorway. Frankly, Jolyn was frightened by his bruised and discolored appearance. He had apparent blood vessels that had burst under his skin, causing there to be blotches of bright purple on the left of his cheekbone and corner lip. The black eye that was healing had returned to its fresh color and companioned itself with an eye that swirled with blood on the bottom of the iris. Noel hid the embarrassment and tried to avoid looking at Jolyn's probing eyes.

He felt like out of all of the brothers, Noel was the one who put up the sturdiest and heaviest walls, and he now had some sort of an understanding why. The endless list of what Noel's issue was had shorted itself: Prejudice? Envy? Abusive?

"Hi, Noel…" Jolyn greeting, sounding soft-spoken as always.

He didn't look up,

"Hey."

He tapped his left leg about as if he was holding in a piss for the longest. He felt welcomed, but only for a short second once he realized the examining gaze on Jolyn's face. His reaction was subtle but noticeable enough for Jolyn to respectively look away and step aside, allowing Noel into the bathroom. He closed the door behind Jolyn after he stepped out, both having felt a massive amount of somberness exude from a mere look that lasted a second before the door was fully shut.

Directly across the corridor was Felix's bedroom, booming with loud alternative sounds of rock music, songs the New Yorker recognized as Pink Floyd, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Nirvana. To anyone else, this seemed like a normal thing for any eighteen-year-old boy to do on their free time, but this was a recent plan that Felix had put into action and only they had known the true intention behind it. Approaching the door, Jolyn looked around just before knocking a few times. Felix opened the door and smiled at the sight of him, pulling him in. Felix locked the door while keeping his eyes on his friend, and approached him. Playfully, Felix wrapped one arm around Jolyn's shoulder playfully pulled him closer. Subtle snickers escaped from their smiling lips. A few moments later and they were finished with their relaxation that consisted of nothing but cuddling, laying spread out on the bed. Felix turned over, seeing his swain's back turned to him, noticing a small birthmark just underneath his right shoulder blade, taking a shape similar to Brazil.

"What are you doing all the way over there?" Felix groaned. Reaching over with one arm, he pulled Jolyn closer. He didn't resist nor did it seem like he was asleep. He had just been extremely quiet, which was somewhat normal, but too quiet to raise question, "What's on your mind?" He asked considerably.

"I'm just...still a little bothered by what happened yesterday night I guess."

"Don't worry about it," Felix dismissed. However, Jolyn looked over his shoulder in total disgust. Maybe it was because they were in the moment, but the lack of concern in Felix's voice was something he'd never expect for the one who was the first to welcome him opened arms. It stung, so he lifted his head from the pillow, "What?"

"Nothing," Jolyn growled.

" _What_?" Felix asked again, slightly elevating the pitch in his voice "What did I say?!"

"Why doesn't he like me?" Jolyn sat up as well.

"Who?"

"Noel," Jolyn became frustrated and made emotional gestures with his arms that shook the bed, "Ada's only been here for four days, they go on one little trip, and they're already buddy-buddy. How?"

"Look, he's just a complicated guy, okay?" Felix stuttered, "I-I don't know, I think when he meets people who he feels might have lived better lives than him, he becomes really guarded. It's something a lot of us realized. We all tend to do is sometimes, it's just the way this family is. Even the family therapist pointed it out," he said. Once he realized that it failed to make Jolyn feel better, he spoke again, "Come on..." he crawled closer behind Jolyn and planted a kiss on his shoulder, "He's always been like that, especially to really nice people. You can ask our therapist if it bothers you that much."

Jolyn looked back at Felix and couldn't resist giving a single chuckle his nose. He took the nearest pillow and hit him with it. Afterward, they got themselves ready and went downstairs for breakfast. They were both chuckling with one another until they wandered into the kitchen and greeted Ines with hugs and affectionate kisses on the cheek. She pointed out that their plates were covered in the middle of the dining room table, and they both fled to devour their meals. The dining room was directly across from the kitchen and had a second opening that led into the study. Mathieu, Ada, and Carlos sat at the dinner table, having almost finished their plates at this point. In front of them were glasses of pulpy orange juice, plates of soft pancakes with crunchy edges made from scratch, thick strips of bacon, and glistening sunny side ups with speckles of salt and pepper. Jolyn wished all of them a good morning and chose to sit beside Carlos—Felix, beside Ada. While the initial trio finished up their random yet energized debates of which celebrity would most likely still be alive, Felix and Jolyn looked at one another, giving flirtatious messages with their eyes, Felix's being far more dedicated and determined to get his point across. Having orange juice nearly shoot out of his nose, Jolyn had to place down his cup and force himself to swallow before he let out a laugh. The rest of the heads turned to them, wondering what was so amusing. When the curiosity expired rather quickly, Ada and Carlos returned to their conversations. Mathieu, however, couldn't help but smile to himself after noticing the constant "under-the-table" exchange going on between the two clowns. Suddenly, someone could be heard entering the home and stroll into the kitchen. The moment Augustus' voice was heard, the exciting chit-chat between everyone at the table had stilled. Even with his boots removed, they could hear his stomps. Once he entered the dining room, he was the first to greet. Everyone's eyes warily followed as he found his seat on the opposite end of the table and reached for his plate of food.

Coincidentally, another pair of footsteps was heard coming down the stairs. With everyone else downstairs, minus Noel, there was no question as to who it was. The blonde Leroux walked past the dining room, realizing that there was nowhere to sit. He looked at his father, who acted as if he weren't even in the room,

"You can have my seat…" Ada offered with a smile, after a moment of silence.

"No, it's okay," Mathieu, quickly scooted out of his chair, "I'm finished," Mathieu revealed his empty plate and graciously gave up his seat without question.

Long story short, everyone gave up their seats and had gone outside, except Augustus. After they realized that they had left him alone with Noel, it was far too late for any one of them to take their seat back. It would be too obvious that they were trying to avoid conflict. He took a seat on one of the longer sides of the table so he wouldn't have to make direct contact with his father. Therefore, they both ate in absolute silence. Although Ines usually ate her food at the kitchen counter while reading an old woman's magazine, she decided to accompany the rivals in the dining room,

She planted a firm kiss onto her first son's forehead and ran her fingers through his scalp.

"Morning, mon amour," she said as she brought her magazine to the table.

"Morning," Noel greeted back after placing a fork of bacon in his mouth. His eyes nervously lifted and looked over at his father. As much as he hated him, he felt that there was a part of him that needed to be acknowledged by him, even if it were for a split second. He wanted to be accepted and told for once in his life that he did something right. He had been the oldest and most responsible out of all of his brothers, but he was never recognized for it. Looking into his plate, he stabbed one of the hashbrowns and swept it around some syrup, "Morning, father..."

Augustus didn't respond. Instead, he scooted out from the table and ate the remaining scraps of egg on his way to the sink. After he was finished, he vanished upstairs; presumably to his bedroom. Ines could sense the contempt her son was feeling in that moment since she too had experienced similar reactions whenever she fought with her husband—or fought with Noel because of her husband. But even a maternal touch was no longer effective. He sat at the table feeling completely desolate with fresh wounds to show for it.

Later that day, Ines decided it was time to make some overdue popcorn, mostly for the teenagers she genuinely considered babies. In her eyes, she saw the popcorn as some sort of peace offering for her inability to spontaneously make things right. Though she somewhat understood, and at times, took advantage of her three sons' tolerance of her, she always felt the need to make up for it and repay them in some fashion. Any other parent (Dora for example) would look at her with crossed-eyes. Ines was more so a "spare the rod..." but completely missed out on "...spoil the child" type of mother. And although there were complications to physically disciplining children, there were also complications that came with not dealing with any form of discipline at all. To be frank, it showed in Felix, Mathieu, and Noel and the way they interacted with strangers—namely Jolyn. But they were becoming adults who completely aware of how to right their wrongs.

Ines had overcompensated when it came to keeping the popcorn on a cob in the house, there was just far too many and it was taking up too much space in the pantry that was built right into the side of the wall, underneath the house stairs. She grabbed one large bag filled with popcorn on a cob and walked into the kitchen while holding it against her chest. Resting it on the lone, small, wooden round table in the far left corner of the kitchen, she got her cookware ready. It was another pot to add to the dirty dishes that were usually stacked by the end of the day. Ines always enjoyed cooking and even, at some point, wanted to become a pastry chef. Her father, a French immigrant, believed that becoming a chef and a farmer _wasn't_ possible and for a very long time, Ines began to believe it too until she met a woman farmer in Ottawa who was both a farmer and a dance instructor. It was years after college when she had finally agreed to take over the farm if and when her parents passed. The kitchen was always a safe place for Ines from the time she was small. Her mother would always make fresh batches of soft cookies, brownies, amazing dishes of custard tarts, and the list went on when it came to French pastries. She wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps, always wanting to make the kitchen a memorable place for her sons and let them understand the value of cuisine and overall family time. In a sense, she felt like she might have failed that mission ever since she brought Augustus into her life, but she kept insisting on trying. Ever since her mother passed, the preservation of the kitchen atmosphere was something she endlessly wanted and found herself barely leaving the room unless it was to go to the bathroom. Cooking and living out her dream that was so unfairly snatched from her. Whenever she did as much as think about her mother, she recalled things such as scents and aromas. So, the moment world ended, Ines' days would start and end off in that kitchen. It brought her a sense of comfort and true residency, but it seemed as each day passed, as each day greyed, as each day wilted like the neglected plants that hung over the sink, nothing more could be done to revitalize its life.

While pouring a large bowl of kernels she removed from the cob by hand, into a large stainless steel pot, Ines added oil and sprinkled in a decent amount of salt. She reached into the cupboard to pull out a match to ignite the stove. As the fire burned on high for quite some time, she listened as the first couple of kernels ricocheted around the inside of the pot. She reached to grab the pot's eats—handles—and prepared to shake it around,

"Aie!" She yelped, pulling her hand away from the pot.

A powerful surge of emotions overcame her, feeling as though she had finally been losing her touch. She had never felt that way before when cooking in the kitchen. She had nicked herself with knives, naturally teared up when cutting onions, but never ever forgot her oven mitts. She hurried over to the sink and let the cold water run over her hands, holding back tears that were strangely overwhelming. While holding them under running water for a couple more seconds, she looked around, realizing that she had misplaced her mitts on top of the refrigerator. As if she was angered, she grabbed it and continued her cooking, thankful that she didn't drop the pot, which now sat partially over the burner grate.

After she finished, she had made about three bowls of popcorn. She had seen her boys finish one bowl in a matter of minutes, and one of them could even finish a whole bowl themselves. However, she wasn't going to make massive bowls for the each of them because that would just be far too much work. Ada, Carlos, Noel, Mathieu, Jolyn, _and_ Felix were sitting outside on the front porch. Getting nothing but the scent of popcorn through the windows that were opened to air out the house. Once the bowls were given to them they each thanked her graciously. Popcorn was the signature snack for theater and entertainment, and it was why her sons had loved it so much. Hopefully, it would give the Chadwell siblings and Carlos an identical feeling. With the extras around, she felt a vast amount of appreciation that, ironically, her father and Augustus never seemed to show her. It was like a feeling of accomplishment, similar to when you got great grades in school and showed them to your awestruck parents. Whereas Augustus conformed right away to the new, damning lifestyle, and chose to live purposelessly, Ines sought out continuous validity.

Going on about their lives, in the same manner, the reanimated that wandered the streets did, the group of youngsters removed themselves from the porch and began to explore on their own.

With three bowls between the of six them, everyone eventually broke off into pairs, all engaged in their own interesting conversations. Jolyn of course, stuck with Felix, having yet to give any obvious signs that he and Felix's relationship might be a bit more than platonic. Mathieu had gotten along with Carlos a lot quicker than anyone else, even Jolyn. It was their niche interest in linguistics that brought them closer to one another. However, Adaline knew nothing about linguistics. From the time Carlos and Ada got to know one another well enough, they spoke one another's ear off, trying to educate each other with their own personal tastes: Carlos on grammar, lexicons, the sounding out of words, and other native languages, Ada on the repercussions of misogyny, racism, homophobia, and anything others considered sociopolitical. To one another, they were meaningful subjects nonetheless; topics that had the power to teach important lessons in society, or else they would exist, but more or less it was a bunch of passionate blabbering from one another's lover. As they all began to break apart, Ada stood in the middle, juggling whether to accompany the linguistic nerds or leave Noel on his own. Carlos stopped momentarily after he realized the crunching grass behind him had faltered midway. He had looked back, seeing her attention mesmerized by something else. If he didn't know any better, he could've sworn she was staring at Noel's hindquarters,

"Ada?" Carlos called out, standing a few feet away. She turned attentively to him, feeling bothersome and standing with her arms crossed. He studied her as if she snapped out of a daydream. He questioned her, "You coming?"

She pondered for a moment before answering him,

"I'm just gonna hang with Noel for a bit…" she answered. She concealed her jitteriness by placing her hands in her pockets. Carlos, on the other hand, wasn't so eager to let her go. He stared at her as if he could use brain power to persuade her to do otherwise, but she didn't catch the gist. Eventually, she began to back away on her own, "Is that okay?"

"Alright," he sighed, but before he could even finish, Ada had already turned her back to him.

She snuck up behind Noel and attempted to frighten him. Admittedly, he jumped just a tad, but he'd never let her know that. Instead, he smiled at her, having the corner of his eyes wrinkle. It oddly tickled her and she turned away. He held out the bowl of popcorn, encouraging her to grab a handful as they strolled into the small forest that was part of their farm setting. Questioning if he had washed his hands, she unknowingly went for it after he lied about it,

"How are you feeling?" she asked, after finishing her handful.

Noel took a while before answering,

"I'm okay."

"You can tell me," she stopped walking and turned to look up at him. Noel stopped walking momentarily and blushed at her inquisitive yet endearing eyes. Realizing that his cheeks and ears might flush a deep rosy color, he turned away with a laugh and continued walking further into the trees.

"You first," he simply said. Ada looked at him puzzled before he could continue, "You said you went through the same thing…"

"Oh…" Ada recollected. However, all she hoped for it to do was let him open up to her easier. But Noel was a complicated person. Whether he realized it or not, he always wanted something in exchange for something else. The day, in particular, was bleak and cloudy since it had rained from the night before into the morning. The air was humid and it made both of their skin feel muggy and moist. Placing her hands into her pockets she started, "It started when my mom and dad met back in New York. My mom wasn't a very smart cookie at the time. More of a desperate one..."

"What do you mean?"

Dora was a beautiful woman when she was in her twenties and retained a good amount of her looks as she aged. And although she was in her fifties, she looked no older than someone in her late thirties. Noel mentioned before that it was a common myth that people with browner skin tones seemed to often age at slower rates. However, this myth had been proven to him multiple times. When he was enlightened on Dora's age, he couldn't believe it. He almost wowed and giggled like a school child.

Before Dora had found Christ, she dressed like a typical 80's woman in her prime: Bright red lipstick, bedazzled skirts and dresses, hoop earrings, and large blown-out hair that reached the end of her spine. Back then, every woman in her demographic tried to imitate musical lyricists such as Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, or any songstress that excelled in rhythm and blues. One day while on the train from Brooklyn, she thought she had met what was a kind and attractive man: Roman Chadwell. And although she did grow to love him, she figured it was also a quicker way to stay in the states without going through the extensive hassle it usually took to become a US citizen. So she foolishly got married to him, without the gowns, cake, and entire festivity within a measly eight-month time span. That's when she realized that she had married a total stranger. He began to put his hands on her, curse at her and showed her what she believed to be Lucifer himself. She kept it a secret for a very long time, unable to seek help from her family since she thought they would either ridicule or judge her. So, she remained with him long enough to get herself together and unintentionally got pregnant down the line. Not much to her surprise, he didn't want the baby. He wanted her to get rid of it, but at this point, Dora had hardened into a woman who could take anything he threw at her. Maybe not physically, but mentally and emotionally. She adapted so much to his emotional abuse that she just learned how to take it and convert it into something else. Something invisible yet palpable. Something that women naturally obtained whenever they could walk out of abusive relationships unscathed. But one baby turned out to be two, and the man who was so against having children truly fell in love the day he laid eyes on them for the first time. However, the children didn't change him as Dora hoped it would. So once she reached her limit, she thought it was best he come home to an empty house. Her closet was stripped of any clothes and all of her belongings were gone. But having already found Christianity with means of using it as a coping mechanism, she thought it was wildly sinful to keep a father away from his offspring. So as time progressed, he would visit them regularly and grow with them. He loved his children dearly but had an odd way of showing it. He tried to taint their minds, often telling them terrible stories and making awful accusations, trying just about anything he could to gain custody of them. It worked to some degree but all it did was confuse the twins even more on who to resent more for their straining relationship. Nor did being separated stop Roman from putting his hands on Dora. It was too much for toddlers to handle. Whenever they cried, he would become physical with them, telling them to "stop crying" as if hitting was the solution, curse at them, and tell them horrendous things that were unsuitable for young ears. Then, for a long period of time, he vanished and suddenly reappeared when they were fourteen. Just as their mother, they foolishly believed he had changed as he claimed, but they were wrong. However, they were older now and able to stand up for themselves and their mother. Ada, at times, found herself hating her dad yet wanting more attention from him—similarly to Noel. Over time, the mental abuse became too much for her to handle and she was first to discontinue their relationship and realized how much lack of respect he had towards women, even his own daughter. He saw her as less than and she would find herself trying to prove him wrong multiple times. There came a time where it just wasn't something she believed in.

Jolyn had 99% of his father's physical characteristics. Sometimes he felt that just because he was the son of him, that he had a duty to be underneath him. Ada could attest and say that her brother did face a lot of in-family discrimination simply because he was the child of a monster, but he felt like a huge outcast at a very young age, and just like his father, he suffered from clinical depression, wanting to "take the easy way out" on multiple occasions. Once he began seeing signs of becoming like his father, he took a step back. That step turned into multiple steps, into an about-face, and a full out sprint. He never looked back at his father again, leaving him to fend himself from his inner demons that he was countlessly heaving over his children.

The story was touching to Noel and they both had to give it a moment to sink in,

"Augustus isn't my birth dad," Noel confessed after the silence, "I know it's why he's the hardest on me."

"...and Felix and Mathieu?"

"They're his. It's embarrassing but…" he scratched his eyebrow to stop it from twitching nervously, "My mom had me with another man when she was still with him. It was a man from a past relationship..."

Ada looked up at him with disheartened eyes,

"I'm sorry you have to be in the middle of that. Did you ever get to meet him?"

"He died before I could. Heart attack."

Ada watched Noel tell his story without showing a lick of emotion, and that's when she began to realize that he was somewhat going through the same hardening process as her mother. They used their trauma as a way to cope and deal with things, and it could possibly come in handy for a world like this. It wasn't necessarily their fault, it was just how their brains prepared them. They stopped walking and turned to face one another,

"Sorry," she said yet again.

"Stop apologizing," he smiled at her, "It's fine. I never knew him so doesn't mean much to me. I mean...I would've liked to, but I can't dwell on it."

Their conversation was finished and so was their popcorn. In the meantime, Noel studied Ada's face and was fascinated by her radiant skin, her proportionate, small face, and her delicate features, drawn everso by her freckles and shape of her lips,

"What?" she pretended to be ignorant at his attempts.

"I just—" he shook his head, "Nevermind."

"Tell me," she slapped his arm.

He assured her it was nothing. They both made an about-face and began walking back to the farmhouse, which was probably hundreds of feet away.

"How long have you known Carlos for?"

"Three years."

"How long have you two been dating?"

"A year," she looked away, "Why?"

"I swear, I'm not trying to be nosy or anything, but I hear you guys having the calmest arguments sometimes...is everything okay?" Ada sighed. To that, he immediately he realized he overstepped, "You don't have to say anything, I just thought I'd—"

"No, it's fine," she nearly whispered, "Things are just hard to understand right now. Everyone's just really tense right now. The world's just gone to shit so, we gotta understand."

"I hear that…" Noel expressed like a fake-American.

"He's been through a lot since New York. He and Jolyn were attacked by some street gang before he was left to die in a detention facility. Some creep attacked me on the freeway," he shook her head shamefully, "It's how you guy's got that handgun," she struggled to recall its name up until Noel corrected her. Continuing, she picked up where she left off, "Arne almost killed Merwyn. Penelope nearly shot my brother. Then there was Mrs. Tremblay…"

Noel suddenly stopped walking,

"Wait. Say that again?"

"Ms. Tremblay?" She repeated, hoping he'd be vexed over it.

"No, not that. What you said about Penelope."

"She almost shot my brother...?"

"...With a gun?"

"No, a slingshot," she joked sarcastically, momentarily slouching her shoulders, "What else would she use?"

Having bringing up the topic of guns and mentioning Penelope soon afterward, Ada had involuntarily opened up a can of worms. The situation between the Leroux's and Penelope was long forgotten and probably long resolved, but there was something about the entire pickle that left a chip on Noel's shoulder, and he _knew_ his unforgiving father felt the same. Despite Ada's opening up and all they had discussed, he was endlessly willing to try and prove himself worthy of something.

"Of course," he laughed to himself in disbelief, "That bitch. She had a gun this entire time. Why didn't I think of it sooner."

"Geez, calm down, you don't have to call her that," Ada defended the rash mother.

"Her husband had that military gun and she has her own. That could've been the guns for our deal," Noel argued.

"You guys agreed that Arne could keep his gun. It's why we're here."

"We agreed _he_ could keep his gun. Not her. We didn't know she had one. She was lying to us—again!"

"They need that to protect themselves."

"I don't care," he raised his voice slightly, "She should've thought about that before lying to us. What about our protection?"

Ada furrowed her brows, at his sudden shift in behavior.

"Where's this coming from, Noel?"

"That bi—" he caught himself in front Ada as she crossed her arms and looked at him in pure chagrin. He ran his fingers through his hair and stood as if his feet were on fire but unable to get far, "One of the reasons my dad is so pissed is because of those guns. I know it! So I'm gonna make things right," he muttered as he began to charge towards the house.

Ada attempted to keep up with his quick pace.

"Listen to yourself, what are you saying?"

Noel went on a tangent and ranted on his way to the house, almost as if this 'new' discovery had caused him to malfunction. He went on about how this would be the action to "finally make things right". He didn't address it directly, but Ada was sure she knew what he was referring to. He wanted to prove to his father that he wasn't a waste of space and that he could actually make things right. Noel planned to give Penelope an unexpected visit and stated that she'd have no other choice but to surrender her guns over. Not to be a pessimist, but a realist, Ada was familiar with this type of parent/child redemption, and it rarely ever worked. And if it did, it didn't last until you screwed up again. She could do nothing but try to tell him that his way of going about this was wrong and would only cause them more issues, especially since her mother and younger cousin was caught in between. As he grew more and more exhausted with furiously having to explain himself, he got tongue twisted and turned to face her in a rage,

"Why are you even defending her? She nearly shot your brother and she lied about her guns knowing you three were coming here to repay _her_ debt!" When he noticed that Ada couldn't answer, he gave a scoff. He walked away, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Noel!" Ada's voice cracked before he could turn back around, "I swear to god if you hurt my family..."

"What? You'll kill me?" His eyes searched her face for any hesitation, but it was absent. She didn't budge. If anything she felt too weighed down to react reflexively, "Listen to me. I like you. A lot, Ada, I really do," he rested his hands on her shoulders before she could shrug them off, "...but I _have_ to do this. I won't lay a finger on your family, but I _have_ to do this."

He turned away and started walking towards the barn. However, the closer they got to it, Mathieu and Carlos intruded on their dispute, claiming that they were alarmed by the shouting. Almost immediately, Carlos could detect that his girlfriend was upset by something and coddled her as she rooted herself beside him. Before he could even ask what the commotion was about, Noel spoke to Mathieu as if the others didn't exist. He informed him on his entire plan and hoped that his brother would side with him since he understood the amount of stress that it put them through. Had they possessed guns any sooner, who knows what could have been done differently. Maybe they'd still have farm animals and wouldn't be anticipating their likely deaths—not at the hands of some wretched démon, but by starvation which was such a laughable way to go out for farmers. Without even much effort, Mathieu was easily seduced into his brother's devious plan. Noel, on the other hand, expected this, knowing that Mathieu looked up to him quite more than his younger brother Felix did. Felix would undoubtedly be opposed to the plan. Noel figured he was too soft to go through anything like it. Nonetheless, he was his little brother, and he wouldn't force him to do something he had no ambition doing. A couple of minutes later, Jolyn and Felix exited the barn,

"The hell is going on?" Jolyn questioned.

Although he wasn't answered directly, it didn't take long for him to catch on through the public discussion.

"That's a pretty stupid idea," Carlos shamelessly threw in his two-cents.

"Yeah, well, who the hell asked you?" Noel inched towards him.

"How are you gonna get there?" Carlos remained unbothered, "You have no car."

"That's why we're taking yours."

A smug smile appeared on Carlos' face. Deep down, he personally felt like these French boys had nothing on New Yorkers. Growing up in the streets of New York fleshed him out into the fighter he currently was. If he had to, he planned to give Noel more bruises to compliment the ones his father already gifted him.

Noel gave him about three more tries until something "bad" was "going to happen". These words were bold and bothered everyone else. Where this hostility was coming from was beyond any of them, even Mathieu to some extent, but he figured that blood was thicker than water, and that he needed to be on his older brother's side when it came to strangers he barely knew. Before a fight could break out between the two, everyone else attempted to calm the situation. Hoping that it would make things simpler, Mathieu pulled out a gun: the very same firearm that originally belonged to the freak on the freeway. It was unknown, even to his brothers, why he was holding on it, but that was least of everyone else's concern since it was now being held to the back of Carlos' head,

"Don't do anything stupid, Carlos," he cautiously circled to the front of him with Noel keeping lookout for anyone who wanted to step in, "Just give us the keys."

Everyone else switched gazes with one another. Felix and Jolyn watched each other for a short second, almost helpless. Individually, they originated from different sides in this situation. Maybe they were waiting to see if one would betray the other first? Ada stared at Carlos, feeling her heart nearly jump out of her throat. If it weren't for the restraint she learned in self-defense classes, she would've managed to disarm Mathieu and crater him into the soil with her fists.

"And he's only taken one target class," Noel interjected for his own amusement.

Carlos slowly removed it from his pocket and held it in one hand raised slightly above his head. Dropping it to the ground, Noel rushed to pick it up before the second Leroux could, thinking that it would put his brother in the line of danger. But from the moment Mathieu threatened them, it was no longer in question. Through all of the arguments and fights, Ada and Carlos had their misplaced trust restored with just a simple glance between the both of them. Carlos shoved the oldest Leroux to the side while Ada rushed in from behind Mathieu and pushed his aimed arms into the air. As they struggled back and forth, the gun went off.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, readers. Season 2B has officially started. I hope you all liked this chapter. Unfortunately, I won't be able to post this 2B every one or two weeks like I planned to because of personal reasons. I rarely have any time to myself anymore, but hopefully, that changes soon. I know not much happened in this chapter, but I wanted to focus** of **a bit more development. I hope you all stay tuned for the remainder of season 2.**


	9. Episode 9 - Water of the Womb

During their last outing, Arne and Merwyn managed to sneak in something that had a trivial presence where ever it was taken—especially during these times. Merwyn hid it underneath his coat and slept with it until it was the right time. Unsheathing it for only he and Arne's eyes, he pulled out a twenty-five-ounce bottle of deep purple wine. To make it all the more worth it, it just so happened to be one of Canada's fanciest bottles. The mission was to pour a cup for each of them and save the rest for another time, but the stress ended up making them get so carried away, they became a little too tipsy to maintain their volumes. Their laughter and chuckles had gotten so loud that they managed to wake up Penelope from her afternoon siesta. She woke up and rushed downstairs, having her hair tied in a messy bun and wearing the same old gray and black plaid cardigan she wore since they arrived. She ran downstairs in her socks, seeing Arne and Merwyn nearly halfway through with their bottle. With the intention to embarrass them she surprised them as she charged into the joining room. Soon after, Dora came downstairs to see what all the excited racket was all about. Just as expected, Merwyn and Arne's loud performances had summoned two reanimated to their front door. They banged on the windows, somehow managing to zone their faint sights on the blurred figures inside of the lake house. They hissed and growled as they tirelessly sanded their bloody fingertips away at the planks of wood made to recently barricade the windows. Arne stood up with his partner in crime, clearly inebriated. He felt that it was now his and Merwyn's responsibility to get rid of the creature lingering on the front porch, and although Arne was a man who could handle his liquor quite well, you'd have to be a fool to put a loaded gun in his hand. As he reached for his gun, Dora barged in his direction and rested her palm over his, preventing the assault rifle from pointing anywhere else but the floor,

"Penelope and I will take care of it," Dora reassured them.

Penelope sighed to herself, hoping that wouldn't be their last resort. Arne looked over Dora's shoulder, seeing his ex-wife check her handgun for bullets and load her weapon. Although it wasn't yet ingrained in her, she was becoming more and more prepared, having gained something she lacked her entire life. Stumbling back, he free-fell onto the sofa and took a deep breath before approving of it as if saying anything otherwise would've changed their minds.

"Can we see?!" Hunter enthusiastically said while sitting on the very top of the steps.

"Speak for yourself," Emberly chased after him as he got up and walked down.

"No, Hunter," Penelope dismissed without much effort, putting Emberly's fear of spoilage at ease. Holding her small pistol in her hands, she played FBI and pointed it to the ground while approaching the exit, "We'll be right back."

Both mothers came up with a plan to quickly get outside and divert the attention of the reanimated away from the house. Dora didn't have a weapon, but she was positive that their far more superior thinking could outwit their enemies. After they closed off their home, they both swiftly led the reanimated off their front porch, staying at least five feet away from them. Emberly chased after them and pressed her face to the window, worrying over her aunt's exposure to the dangers that awaited for them like the wilderness. Out of the two reanimated that were outside, each mother led one towards them. One was a man and the other was a woman, and they all stood roughly around the same height. Penelope's target was missing an eye, presumably an accident prior to the change. He had on a maroon colored t-shirt that was slightly torn diagonally across the bottom. Its pants, however, had been missing, possessing only a pair of boxers, walking around in a pair of uneven socks. Penelope's gunmanship wasn't exactly that of a cowboy, so she waited until the reanimated stepped a good distance, dimly putting its opened mouth in a dangerous range of her handgun. Before it could lift its careless arms to touch her, she pulled the trigger, blowing a bullet through the back of its head. Its blood It could be her splattering and scattering along with its bones. Still not use to the noise, blood, or recoil, she flinched. Her motherly instincts weren't as sharp when it came to protecting her beloved son, therefore she was unable to recover like before. Once her ears stopped ringing, she quickly turned to see Dora wrestling with the second reanimated. Dora began panicking as the reanimated inched closer to her right shoulder. With every attempted to chomp, it slipped in and out of her grip with an undying dedication to sink its fangs into her flesh. Lastly, Dora wildly spun the enemy around and released it on her second attempt, tearing her sleeve in the process and causing it to stumble into another direction. Once it had set its sights on Dora again, who was already exhausted from the struggle, Penelope shot at it, this time hitting it square in the head with her first shot. It dropped to the ground, leading both women to eventually stand over it. It was a woman with long red hair tied back into a bun. Her outfit looked very similar to a maid's: All black, pleated skirt, and a blood-stained apron that was off-white due to its undisclosed travels,

"Are you okay?" Penelope looked over at Dora, "Sorry. I took too long,"

"No, no..." Dora disapproved of her unconfidence, "You did just fine. It's okay. It isn't easy to kill them all the time," Dora craned her head back down to the reanimated and tilted her head to all angles to get a better look at the reanimated. It was certainly a young girl in her twenties and it twisted her stomach to see such a girl lose her life at such an early stage in her life. If you looked closely enough, there was a pair of marks around her neck and a pierced wound in her stomach—fresh, "What's she wearing?"

"Looks like some kind of house servant or something. My dad used to hire them."

"But, maids? Around this time?"

"Maybe she was a maid before all of this."

"Unh-uh," Dora disagreed, "She just turned."

"How can you tell?"

"Just by looking at her skin and eyes, you can tell. And look," Dora pointed out both her neck and gut, "Those are recent. I don't know how recent, but…'

Penelope leaned in, to see if she could get a better look at whatever nonsense Dora was going on about. Their skin? Their eyes? Either way, it was still disgusting and she didn't want to get to close to it. Sooner or later her eyes would wander to other upsetting parts: The blood creeping out its mouth, the visible bowels, the scrapes and scratches along its neck. She had an appetite and it was now running for the hills. She swallowed, hoping to not lose whatever she had left in her stomach.

"They all look the same to me," Penelope shrugged, "We don't have to worry about it anyway. It's dead now. Come on, let's get this cleaned up and go back inside. I'm actually considering a drink right about now."

"Same here."

Cleaning up the corpse's corpses was something that the group got progressively better at with each passing day. After getting rid of the first reanimated, it was time to get rid of the final one: The young woman with the maid outfit. While Dora held her arms, Penelope held the legs and they traveled along the road by the lake house, carrying it up a slight hill the declined on the other side. Once you reached the peak and looked on to the other side there was a festering pile of dead reanimated going downhill.

"We've blocked off the road…" Dora realized.

Penelope reassured that it led to nowhere but a dead end parking lot. There was only one way in and one way out of the path that passed through the vacant park of lake houses, so it was nothing to worry about. No one else had lived here except for them anyway.

Afterward, they returned to their home. The first thing Penelope did was grab herself a cup and snatch the wine that Merwyn began to repossess after the women returned safe and sound. She poured herself a cup and took the longest swig as if it quenched years of thirst. Hunter followed her into the kitchen and watched her face tinge with signs of a sting. He watched her with wonder and stared at the styrofoam cup that jittered in her hands,

"What's it taste like…?"

Penelope thought of the best way to describe it. She wasn't so great at giving vivid details, but she tried her best. She described it as "sweet" with a "burning aftertaste", hoping that the latter would deflate his interest. But it did nothing but ignite it even more into a gratuitous spark of curiosity. Emboldened by the seclusion with his mother, Hunter asked if he could have a taste. Penelope was in a state of exhaustion and slight uncertainty that she dared to avoid a long time ago, but it was a frequently she frequently felt and couldn't shake off. There was so much she wanted her son to experience before this all happened. It made sense for a mother to want those things: His first day of high school, his first love, first heartbreak, maybe even his first drunken experience. But now, she was unsure he would ever get to have those things. Truth be told (to herself), she was unsure he'd even live long enough to even _hear_ about those things. She looked up at everyone else, whose attention was elsewhere. She put her fingers to her lips and gave him the cup to take a wee taste. With excitement, he apprehensively brought the cups to his lips, having his eyes stare into the cup that reminded him so much of grape juice. The smell was quite intense and once it touched his taste buds, his first reaction was handing the cup back to his mother before skewering his face. Penelope grabbed the cup, holding back some laughter. She playfully smacked his derriere, sending him off where would unquestionably share his escapade with Emberly.

Penelope returned into the living room to pour herself another cup. As Dora turned away from the window, praying that a car filled with recognizable children would show up, she grabbed a cup for herself and asked for a drink,

"Hit me," she said, ignoring all of the proud eyes that watched her.

"You sure about that Dora?" Merwyn smiled. He pointed towards the ceiling, "Won't he be a little upset with you?"

"God broke bread and shared wine during his last supper," she exhaled. Drinking wine was nothing new to her since red wine was something she did occasionally since it was good for the heart. However, there was nothing wrong with doing it recreationally either, especially during times like this. All in all, she felt that she deserved it, "He'll understand."

It was ill-advised to have a good time and finish off the rest of the wine, so Penelope crashed in on the party and hid the rest. Dora took a step outside hoping to get her mind off things, but being alone only made things worse. She had seen it all at this point, and it was becoming easy to stack those unfathomable images on top of her children, her niece, and Carlos. From behind, she heard the door open and close. She turned away and wiped away the tears that were seconds away from riding down her cheeks,

"Why are you out here alone?" Penelope asked.

Her sneakers could be heard making themselves across the wooden porch as she sat beside her on the steps. She sat with her legs spread open, holding the cup steadily in between.

"Nothing, I—" Dora placed on a smile and shrugged, unable to open up.

"You're thinking about your kids," the young mother hit spot on.

She knew that look far too well. Not only because she had felt it before, but because Dora had been doing it from the moment she even arrived with them. She was just so constantly worried about them even when they were in front of her.

"I'm thinking about my kids…" Dora repeated with a nod and nervous chuckle.

Penelope thought of something to say, but how could you console a mother whose children were in a current state because of your careless actions. It may have taken a while, but Penelope was now beginning to feel bad about it. They might not have to agree on everything or be the best of friends, but she knew what it was like to be a mother. She couldn't do as much but be five feet away from Hunter, so she could only imagine was Dora was going through. The fact that it had taken her so long to see it now tore her up inside on how thoughtless she was. It may have been the drunken thoughts—but it was those that spoke the most honesty, right?

"I'm..sorry," Penelope slightly rocked back and forth, "I'm sorry for the hell I've put you through…" Dora nodded, having that same heavy smile that spoke volumes even through silence. Penelope had picked up on it for quite some time. Dora was a bold woman when it came to communicating with her family, but she was passive and guarded when it came to confrontation. She obliged too much, and maybe that was why Penelope figured she could walk over the older woman, "I know it's not much but. I will make it up to you. I promise I will. Before I was so glad that Arne hadn't left earlier today with you because I'm just too afraid that I might lose him. More than I already have...but, I've come to realize that we all have a fear of losing someone," she took another sip, "I'll take you to see your kids. There's enough gas in my car to last us at least a hundred drives back and forth."

Dora was speechless at her change in attitude towards her and her kids,

"I don't know what to say," Dora was astounded, "Thank you."

"I wanted to leave with Arne and Hunter so bad that I never realized how much in danger I would actually be putting you guys in for my sake."

"I just _don't_ get it?" Dora asked, "Why would you want to take your son and just run away?"

Penelope thought, for the longest time, on a correct way to explain it but could never make it make sense to anyone else. But with her drink, it simply transmuted itself into words,

"Just imagine being alone in this world with your children and living at peace. Forever. No regrets. No fears of someone hurting them. Would you want anyone else to intrude on that?"

Dora looked away and shook her head,

"No."

"I want that. With Arne back, I have a chance to make Hunter have both his father and mother in his life. I just want to provide that for him because it's my fault he missed out on that in the first place. You might think it's too late to make that up, but I don't. We can try. Things won't be perfect from the outside, but we're all each other needs to be happy."

Dora understood to some extent...and the thought of it sounded glorious, but it was an overall fantasy. Was there a place where that was even possible? Maybe. Maybe there was a remote island out there they could stumble upon and live at peace. But forever? It felt impractical. There were problems regardless of the state of the world. Yes, the world before wasn't always about killing the walking dead, but it had always been about survival. Merwyn was a perfect example of a man who had to survive long before the world changed and it was probably why he managed to still remain alive after so long. There was homelessness, drugs, starvation, government corruption. The current state of the world was only a sole manifestation of those things. Natural chaos was inevitable to avoid. and at times, defeat. However, there was a small part of Dora that wanted Penelope's beliefs to be true because it was similar to what her own beliefs had taught her about the afterlife. She'd be contradicting years of faith if she told Penelope to expect any less.

In the midst of their heart to heart, both women looked up to see a Volkswagen cut into the lakehouse, immediately recognizing it as Carlos' truck, Dora placed down her cup beside her and stood up. She couldn't believe the pure coincidence of it all. She had reached her wit's end on wondering about their well being. The purest smile appeared on her face and she took steps that would eventually waltz to greet her children into her arms. However, her face changed once she felt herself being pulled back by Penelope. Arne's wife was the first to identify the two masked figures exit their cars and reach in for some firearms. Dora took a couple of steps back, nearly losing her footing. What were they doing with Carlos' car? As Penelope irrationally did best, she attempted to reach for her gun but she had left it behind, thinking she wouldn't it need it just to harmlessly accompany Dora for a short time. Preemptively, they pointed both guns back at the women,

"C'est elle. Ne tirez pas," one said to the other. He then carried on to warn the women, "We don't want any trouble. We just came for one thing."

"What do you want?" Penelope cried out.

One of the brothers took a step and shushed her sharply while the other pointed at her,

"Not so loud!" he shushed sharply, more worried that reanimated would come to them. He looked around momentarily, "Don't test me! I'm not afraid to shoot off your legs since you damn well deserve it!"

* * *

Ada winced as Ines patted down the small bruise on her forehead with rubbing alcohol. She'd jerk her face away after every touch. Ines apologized each time but felt like the young girl was being a little dramatic since she sustained a plate to the face before.

After the gun had gone off in the middle of their scuffle, Mr. and Mrs. Leroux came running to investigate, but long after Mathieu and Noel managed to gain the upper hand and stun the retaliating couple. They had used firearms growing up, so gunfire was nothing new to them. After the gun had done its job at phasing every single one of the New Yorkers at the scene, Ada was accidentally hit in the face and thrown to the ground while Noel managed to knock Carlos unconscious for a good minute. After that, the brothers booked it towards the Volkswagen almost immediately. Ada froze, Jolyn panicked and ran off (again), and Carlos made sure no one was hit, including himself.

"Ada," August stood by the bathroom door, "What happened?" He asked again after being promised to be informed.

She watched Ines who sat in a small stool in front of her and eventually glanced up at Augustus. It was strange because after all Noel had done to her, a small part of her still wanted to defend him. She knew that this sudden reaction of his wasn't ultimately his fault and that Augustus indirectly had some hand in it. By confessing the truth, she feared that it could have the exact opposite effect of what Noel had hoped—Augustus would surely kill him for being so reckless. But at this point, it wasn't about Noel anymore. It was about her friends and family,

"They went back to the lakehouse..." Ada hesitated.

"For what?" Ines closed in.

"The guns..." she paused and studied their faces, seeing that they were still confused by such vague answers, "I brought up that Penelope had a gun. So he got excited and got the bright idea to go back and get them; because she promised to give up."

Ines was obviously ashamed of her sons' actions, but Augustus was frozen in thought. Ada didn't know any better, she'd think that she saw a hidden smile underneath all that bitterness and anger. He didn't have anything to say but instead claimed that he would "take care" of Noel when he came back with those guns—as if he would surely get his hands on them.

Being within three feet of Ines was powerful enough to give solace. She rubbed Ada's bare arm and brittlely smiled at her before exiting the bathroom with her husband. Afterward, Carlos showed up at the door, asking if she was feeling any better. Giving him a warm smile, Ada nodded while turning away feeling a deep sense of guilt for somewhat betraying Carlos herself. She stared into her lap, almost trying her hardest to hold something in, but her emotions said otherwise and got the best of her. She began sobbing, and Carlos, being the person that he was, walked in to offer consolation. She walked into his arms, squeezing one another and having both share the same feeling from the people they thought they had trusted. There was no coming back from this and it was evident.

* * *

Arne and Merwyn were taken by surprise when two men ambushed them. They were far too drunk to even fight back—one of the downsides of drinking at this time. But they couldn't be blamed for the evilness that these two strangers were acting on. Merwyn was thrown face-first into the dirt and had his arms drawn behind his back just as Penelope and Dora were. They were all restrained—arms tied behind their backs and kneeling in moist dirt that stuck itself to the reinforced knees of their pants. The figure with the black mask, Mathieu, walked past each of them attempting to intimidate them with his overbearing presence. He stopped at Dora, who was on the far left of them all. Mathieu looked away,

"Where's the son?" Mathieu purposely said in French to avoid alarm. He looked over at Noel, who was beginning to respond but noticed a rather quick démon walking towards the group and creeping up behind Dora. He froze, pointing behind Mathieu.

"Démon!" Noel cried in French, "Kill it!"

Mathieu faced the monster and dropped it like it was a bad habit. Dora flinched at the sound of the gunshot and looked over her shoulder, watching the blood pour out of the vermin's now imploded face. She looked back up at the young man, but the first thing her eye caught was the recognizable gun that her daughter was first held hostage with on the freeway. Its color, its glint, was all too recognizable and something a mother could never forget since she had been through the ordeal. Right then and there, it was beginning to make sense. Carlos' car? The youthful, French-Canadian accents? But without the courtesy of properly getting to know them and the presence of her children, she was in no place to make such a remark. However, at this point, she was filled with too much rage. She was aware that the young man could have felt it since his bothered gaze lingered on her for quite some time and he was the first to break concentration. The ferocity in her eyes was strong enough to send a signal that he had been discovered and she was obviously letting him know by giving a shameless scowl—one far more threatening than any firearm. He was embarrassed as he looked away and, after, was ordered by his older comrade to fetch the children. Ultimately, the plan was to tie everyone up and turn over the whole house in search of those two guns. Then they'd flee just in time to go home and possibly go their separate ways with the Chadwells, Carlos, and act like none of this ever happened.

Three minutes and two gunshots later, Mathieu located Arne's assault rifle scooted underneath one of the sofas. Realistically, an assault rifle that could take down reanimated in succession was the jackpot of the search and although they could do the just right amount of damage with the firearms they currently possessed, Noel was just too damn stubborn to give the final one up. The red-masked man approached Penelope and violently frisked her pockets,

"Hey," Arne became defensive, "HEY!"

Before he knew it, he was staring down the barrel of Noel's shotgun, shutting his trap without much translation,

"What do you want?!" Penelope whined. No less than a second, she was looking down the barrel as well, "Money? Guns?" his interest clearly went up when she said the latter, "There's another gun if you want it. It's on the countertop in the kitchen," Penelope fessed up.

If anything, she was just thinking about the safety of the children. If they would leave as promised without getting anywhere near her son, she was willing to take the chance. Noel instructed his brother to return back one last time and to find the children this time before searching for the gun. Doing as commanded, Mathieu searched all over the lower levels of the house. Walking into the kitchen with the only prominent countertop in the entire house, he couldn't seem to locate the gun anywhere.

Suddenly, he heard soft squeaks and creaks coming from the rooms above. Quietly, Mathieu made his way to the steps, which only got darker as they ascended. Mathieu doubted that he'd have to harm a child, but he had to be ready for anything: A démon, an unknown guest, traps—anything. Having his gun pointed, he walked upstairs and was led into the dark corridor. With plenty of the doors being left ajar, they allowed threads of light to brighten the path. There was a door at one end of the path, where the masked Leroux was positive he heard the noise coming from. He quietly approached the door, seeing that it was half-way open. He looked inside, seeing nothing but a messy bed, empty dresser, and television. He approached the side of the bed and delicately dropped to the floor, seeing a young girl hidden far in the corner. Without barely any threats, he ordered her to come out from underneath, promising that he wasn't going to hurt her. But she didn't believe him. She only listened to him because she was afraid of anything else happening to her if she didn't,

"Where's my aunt?" she mumbled.

It was obvious that she was talking about Ada's mother. He wrongly assumed that she was Ada's younger sister.

"She's okay. Don't worry about her," he went down on one knee and although she stood a little taller than he did, he genuinely didn't want to frighten her, "We're looking for that lady's little boy...do you know where he is?"

Emberly unintentionally glanced over at the door on the other end of the hallway,

"Is he in there?" he asked softly, "I just need to take him to his mother. That's all."

She tightened her lips shut as well as her eyes and began shaking her head,

"No! Please!" she fought the words out in between heavy sobs, "He's not in there!"

Mathieu, at this point, followed his gut. However, it only would've been better had he followed them any sooner—like the moment when Dora had discovered him and the moment he found Arne's gun because once he barged into the room, his eye was caught by something unpleasant. Seeing Hunter standing in the corner with a gun in his hand, the preteen pulled the trigger having the gun fly out of his hand due to the recoil. It was all the result of a sudden scare and an instinct to protect himself: Fight or flight. Emberly shrieked the same moment their captor did, seeing Mathieu bounce against the door and slide to the floor. Stunned, Mathieu held his chest as lifeblood decorated his fingertips and the creases in his palms. If he was in pursuit of revenge, the black-masked brother could have easily murdered that young boy right then and there before his strength fully expire. But remembering who he was and what they were there for, he chose not to. Sooner or later, Noel emerged from downstairs and witnessed what he believed was one of his worst nightmares. He ignored Emberly, who was nearby and even petrified by the shotgun Noel held.

* * *

From outside, the silence was becoming unbearable. Not even a reanimated had stumbled its way within feet of them since the last one was terminated. However, a couple of minutes later, everyone was rattled by the sound of an indoor gunshot followed by a banshee of a scream. Noel was stunned and afraid of what the outcome of this could have been. Either way, whatever the answer was, it wasn't a good one. A dead child was a negative on his part and it was _not_ part of the plan.

"Hunter! Hunter!" Penelope sobbed as she fought to get up. She stumbled forward and fell flat on her stomach. She was forgotten about as Noel vanished into the house, fearing the outcome of anything vicious, "NO!"

"M-Mathieu!" he ran into the room and knelt in front of his younger brother. Looking around, he noticed a staggered Hunter in the corner of the room, suspended and unable to breathe properly. The feeling to kill wasn't a good one and if he had to pull the trigger a second time for the next stranger, he was unable to do it. Quickly, Noel tossed his brother's arm over his shoulder and aided his brother to his feet, "Your family is outside. Untie them after I leave," Noel grunted in between words, attempting to hold up his brother's increasing weight.

Emberly looked up at them with dried tears and perplexion. Whatever type of burglary this was, she couldn't understand it. How she and Hunter were still breathing was sending her the wrong message of the people of this time. Once they were out of sight, she entered Hunter's room, seeing that he had transitioned into a couch and was sobbing into his knees. She reassured that he was okay, but he just couldn't seem to look up at her. She noticed the gun on the floor and used her foot to shove it further under some furniture. Quickly, she jumped out from the corner and climbed to the window, watching the red and black-masked men stumble out off the lawn. Quickly, she ran downstairs and searched the property before exiting the opened door. Multiple adult voices overlapped each other as they all rushed her to free them. The youngster ran outside in her socks just as the Volkswagen reversed out of the lane. She ran behind her Aunty Dora first. After realizing that their limbs were zip-tied, she tried unfastening them any way she could, however, anything she did was useless. It only tightened more.

"How's Hunter is he okay?!" Penelope asked along with untrollable sobs.

"Scissors, baby, there's one in the DVD drawer in the living room," Dora enlightened.

Emberly dashed back into the house and searched the said area, unable to locate what she was looking for. However, when she glanced up at the coffee table, she realized she had left it there from earlier that morning. Grabbing it, she dashed back outside realizing that a reanimated was making its way to Merwyn. She called out his name and ran towards him quicker than the dead could. She cut him free, causing him to snatch the scissors from her and fend for everyone as she hid behind him. Holding the scissors in his grip, he plunged it through the bottom of its chin and rocked backward as it fell on top of him, still feeling slightly intoxicated.

* * *

Noel hadn't realized how critical his brother's condition was up until they were halfway home. What started off as strong cries and yelped eventually faded into short breaths, fighting for bigger ones. And he looked far worse than before. This time, red had taken over the bottom half of his shirt as if he took a dip in a red pool.

"Mathieu! Stay with me!" Noel screamed through teary eyes and a stuffy nose. He pressed his foot down on the gas, soaring through the dead streets a mighty eighty-five miles per hour, "I-I'm sorry, Mathieu."

Despite lacking the ability to speak, Mathieu couldn't understand his current state of pain and immobilization. He slouched back into his seat and weakly rested his head on the window, watching the round skies keep up with them no matter quickly or far they drove. He wasn't sure if this was part of the process, but the corners of his eyes darkened into a complete black like he was inside of a smokey tunnel. Although there was so much going on, he felt at peace somehow, floating on the horizon between life and death. He was never vocal about it, but he was extremely worried about his family since the beginning. Hell, who wouldn't be? His entire life, the Lerouxs was a family capable of making the impossible happen, but there was something different about their luck this time, and he was one of the first few examples of it—the most devasting undoubtedly. Frankly, Mathieu didn't want to see what was going to happen next. He never wanted to let his family know this, but he wanted to die the day the world changed—his entire life, he felt as though he was no one. At times he felt like he lacked an identity and faced issues of what it felt like to be a middle child and his parents never paid attention to it. He was always in both of his brothers' shadows and, soon after, he was sure that was his permanent position after the world had lost all hope. He didn't want that. Maybe there was a chance to change that before. But not anymore.

Noel drove the Volkswagen into the farm after opening and closing the gate. He ran to the farmhouse to summon the help of his family and the ones he betrayed. Of course, even the ones he betrayed still lent a helping hand—with questions of course. When they all came running, Felix was shocked at the sight of his brother's lifeless body in the passenger's seat.

Three people came to help lift Mathieu out of the car. One of them, shouted, revealing themselves to be Augustus,

"Wait!" his weakened voiced started off, "WAIT! WAIT! STOP!"

Everyone froze and followed his instruction. They rested Mathieu's body down on the greenest part of the lawn, taking the time to notice how disrespectful they were being to his departed body. He laid in the grass, looking into the sky with not one ounce of vitality in his eyes—the substance he had so much of when he was alive, more often than his brothers. Noel knelt down to close his eyelids with his fingers, silently weeping in the process. Ines and Ada were the last two to come running. Both paused midway after each of them laid their eyes on what seemed like her Ines' child covered in a murky substance.

"Ma-MATHIEU!" she cried while covering her mouth. Picking up her pace and reaching the crowd that surrounded him, she fought herself through and instantly fell to her knees at the sight of him.

They all felt miserable, sobbing over their family's corpse to no avail. To be respectful, the twins and Carlos kept themselves at a safe distance, becoming contaminated by the melancholy that Noel surely created. They cried as well, not only seeing someone else's son or brother but a friend who made an unfortunate and unwise choice that led to such a terrible demise. The mere fact that it could've been prevented is what killed them most of all.

It had been hours since Mathieu passed and Ines was mourning her offspring as if he were more sacred now than before. Obviously, he always mattered to her, but it was something everyone did when they lost someone they loved. The saying "you never know what you have until it's gone" wasn't just a meaningless quote. She would swat the flies away from his body and brush off the caterpillars and termites that crawled on his shoes.

"She's been out there for too long…" Ada stood beside the window, watching her with crossed arms, "It's getting dark."

"Just let her mourn, Ada. The whole family is mourning," Jolyn argued.

"It's not safe—"

Carlos intervened, sitting still just as the siblings did in the living room, feeling as if any movement could disturb the crippling and somberness of the household,

"The farm gates are closed and you've got your eye on her, right? What's the worst that can happen?"

"...I guess you're right. I just have a bad feeling," Ada said, finding it difficult to turn away from the window. However, she officially succeeded at doing so and sat beside her brother on the couch, undeniably feeling that his position in this must have felt mystifying. She rested her palm on his shoulder, "Hey. Why don't you go check on Felix and see if he's doing okay?."

As if it hadn't been on his mind the entire day, Jolyn used the advice as an excuse to leave his companions and sneak his way upstairs. The environment was tangible everywhere you walked, but its presence was far more abundant once you reach upstairs. Everyone's bedroom doors were shut, however, Mathieu's bedroom door was the only one left wide open. Jolyn walked up to his doorway and looked around his disarranged bedroom, noticing things that set his distinct personality apart from his brothers: The miniature racing flags thumbtacked to his walls grey-blue walls, stacks of strategy board games that stood beside his bed because he forgot to shove them back underneath. Nearly all of his things were in the process of being moved and hadn't been put back in their original place—something Jolyn could relate to. Jolyn quietly walked into the room and looked at old photographs with him and his brothers as toddlers and preteens. Pictures that were very heartwarming and innocent. Just by looking at the photographs, would one never assume that they use to endure some kind of mistreatment by their father. Intrigued by something else, Jolyn reached forward to pick up a small trinket on his lamp's dresser,

"What are you doing in here?" he was surprised by a voice.

Jolyn dropped the ornament along with the picture frame that dragged with it. Glancing up, he noticed Noel watching at him from the corridor, having just stumbled out of his room. Jolyn looked down at the floor, noticing the back of the frame popped off, but it wasn't anything that couldn't be fixed since it was how the frame naturally disassembled. He stumbled on his words before beginning to apologize nonstop and attempted to pick up the frame. Before he could grab the photo, Noel's pale hands got to it first. Jolyn stood with the frame still in hand and watched Noel acknowledge the photograph with a subtle smile. He informed that the photograph was taken during their first trip to Georgia. He claimed they traveled five hours with their grandparents to check out some family farms and to have a mini-vacation. It was the first and last time they had ever flown out of the country. Jolyn, on the other hand, didn't know how to respond except with tense smiles and nods. Instead, he looked at Noel use his menacing glare for something else other than to intimidate him. He remained focused on the photo seconds before pocketing it in his back pocket without creating any folds or creases. When he realized that Jolyn wasn't exactly able to share that moment as he could, his face returned to its sinister gaze in a flash.

"Leave," Noel coldly demanded, shoo-ing him towards the door.

Jolyn flinched and carefully placed the frame on the bed and exited the room. At this point, he was horrified of Noel and his capabilities. He walked down the corridor and stopped at Felix's room as he had originally intended.

Ines still hadn't left her son's side by now. A mother was supposed to be there for her loved ones, even through death, promising them a proper burial, but with the world recently now in shambles, it had dawned on no one that they no longer had the luxury of awaiting a funeral service. They, themselves, would have to take up the role as a funeral director, morticians, and give Mathieu the proper ceremony he deserved. She constantly brushed his hair back and kissed his forehead that night,

"Je t'aime. Je ne t'oublierai jamais," she sobbed.

Before turning around, she heard Augustus and Noel exiting the house with shovels. As she was getting herself back into her right state of mind, Ines got the sense that she still wasn't ready for it. Her grip on his wrist tightened and she shook her head. However, thought her ragged breaths, she swore she could've heard something. She looked around and scanned the property as she sat comfortably in the grass. Suddenly, she heard it again—a sharp, yet shallow, guttural sound. As she looked down, she saw Mathieu's lips twitch in the corners and his eyeballs slowly began to roll underneath his closed eyelids. Stunned by this revelation, she covered her mouth,

"Mathieu?" She gasped.

Reaching forward, she rested her palm on his face, touching it to see if the warmth had returned—-It had not, but it was the least of her concerns to his miraculous resurrection. Could anyone blame Ines for reacting the way she was? Even if she knew the world she lived in? Did anyone know the world they truly lived in? In this particular situation, logic had been thrown out the window. Mathieu's eyes twitched, almost as if opening them were a strenuous task. That's when Ines turned to call Augustus and Noel from the porch. She was shouting their names, telling them to come quick and to see what had given back to them despite the things they had done. However, when Ines turned back around, she noticed something heartless in her son's eyes. Raspy, wordless, noises crept from his mouth and his eyes were a pale blue. Those first couple of seconds into staring in her son's eyes, she realized that whatever was staring back at her wasn't Mathieu. Suddenly, he was compelled to lift his head and he dug his teeth into her wrist. Realizing what this meant, she began wailing, having the most difficult time yanking her hand away from him.

Sitting beside the window, Ada was able to catch a glimpse of what was going on outside. So she notified Carlos and both instantly ran out. Once Ines finally broke free, Augustus and Noel were the first to respond, and once they helped to her feet, they all questioned the random wet blood she was trying to conceal. Although it normally wouldn't be the first thing to have their mind on, they were all paralyzed from the sight of undead Mathieu, rising to his feet. Hoarse hisses were the only sounds he could make and he immediately began to stumble towards them, being fairly quick in close proximity. Augustus held up his shovel horizontally, shoving it against Mathieu's built chest and pushing him back. After his fourth attempt, Augustus regretfully pushed him to the ground,

He apologized to his son and before they knew it, they were all back inside of the house since outrunning came easier to them than putting down their soul-less love. Ines was given a wrung towel dipped in hot water. She scrubbed her wrist clean of any excess blood and continuously dabbed at the opened wounds—where the blood never seemed to stop. Everyone sat across from her, watching her with worry and anxiety. Ines was the last person who deserved this, especially for only mourning her son. It was especially agonizing for Noel, who now knew that his mother would simply be living on borrowed time because none of them would have the gall to end her misery. Augustus kneeled in front of the sofa she sat on as if he was proposing to her, examining the bite for himself,

"It's not too serious. Maybe it'll be okay," he said nonchalantly as if he were bandaging a sprained ankle.

Ada looked up over her shoulder, exchanging looks of disbelief with Carlos.

"Father…" Noel started.

"I thought you said he was shot?!" Augustus raised his voice.

"H-he was!" Noel's voice trembled.

Noise was a beacon to the infectious death that swarmed within a ten-mile radius, and it called to the reanimated. Endlessly scratching at the doorway, initially, Mathieu moved on to the window, tearing the weak netting with his crawling fingers. The three Leroux's present in the living room all looked away, mortified by the sight of their bewitched family member. Carlos took it upon himself to immediately shut the window, close the blinds, and pull over the curtains,

"Then how is he like that?" Augustus picked up, sounding a bit calmer.

"Maybe he was bitten and didn't say anything?" Ines said through sniffles.

The family usually spoke to one another in French, but this public, English dialogue meant that they wanted some input from the native New Yorkers. At least that's what they figured. Carlos and Ada thought back to the day the homeless man got wrecked by that vehicle on that extremely hot day. Even till this day, they refused to believe what they saw, but it brought back memories,

"I…" Ada started. All eyes looked at her simultaneously hoping she'd be some sort of answer. She was a bright girl to them all after all, "I think people turn either way…"

"Absurdité," Ines disapproved, sitting back.

"I know it sounds like nonsense, but it's not. You don't understand…" Ada's voice began to crack like something was being cemented in her throat, "I mean, the things that we saw out there…" her voice cut off, "Nothing makes sense anymore."

Simply recalling memories such as his mother, made Carlos tear up as well. Seeing the emotion on both of their faces made the family reconsider their doubts. Maybe people did turn regardless of how they died? It was the only other explanation.

"Tell us," Noel insisted.

Carlos took a moment, but he was first to explain,

"My mom died from a drug overdose the day the infection arrived. She turned..." everyone was clearly upset by that, "And I know she wasn't bit because my mom hadn't left home for weeks."

"It's true," Ada backed up. She folded her lips inward, "I saw it."

"So what we do?" Ines looked on hopelessly.

Without simply saying it, Ada hoped that the only way she could help was to imply it,

"When my aunt turned...my mom had to deal with it. It wasn't easy from what I can remember but...she did it."

Right then and there, Felix and Jolyn had both made their way downstairs. Felix, feeling better than he initially did, went right back full circle after he had seen everyone huddled around his mother: A similar scene he had just left hours ago. He recognized the bite on her wrist, standing out almost as if it were the most vibrantly colored thing in the room. She tried to hide the bloody cloth, but it was too late. Felix lowered himself to his knees and buried his face into her lap. He wept as she leaned forward to kiss the back of his head,

"My love…" her voice cracked in French.

Being the only ones unaware of the cause of the bite, the two that were the last to join the gathering were startled by the bangs on the window. Jolyn wanted to remove the curtains to see what it was but was almost immediately jumped on by everyone in the room, even Ines. Managing to maneuver through the chaos without any detection, Felix managed to open the curtains and immediately jumped at the takeover of his brother's corpse. Overwrought with emotion, Felix settled on the couch while Carlos blocked off the windows once again. Felix's wails were the only thing being heard at this point. Ada, Jolyn, and Carlos, once again, separated themselves from the suffering of the family, clearly being too indulged in the emotions they personally themselves felt—entirely hopeless and somewhat forgiving of what Noel had done, seeing that he ended up ruining his own family—but that was the last thing they wanted. They couldn't let Noel off so easy for what had happened. They couldn't be too sure that anything similar happened to anyone else back at the lake house.

In the midst of their secretive discussion, they were interrupted by the most reckless son of the Lerouxs—go figure. He looked up at them from the bottom of the house steps, requesting Ada's presence, thinking she'd be the best candidate for his request. Without realizing it, he fancied her with his eyes as she made her way down. She stood two steps above him,

"I need your help…" Noel mumbled. She judged him with her eyes, finding it unbelievable that he would even have the guts to say such a thing after what he had done. When he realized that he wouldn't be getting answered back, he resumed, "You said your mom dealt with your aunt back in New York right?"

"Yes," she answered unsurely.

"Well, we came to an agreement," he paused, swallowing back a whimper, "We want him to...repose en paix. Rest in peace. I'll help."

Unable to fight her true self and feelings—more so towards Mathieu, she reached over the railing and rested her palm on top of his and then pulled it away,

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"It's the least I can do. I got him into this…"


	10. Episode 10 - Blood of the Covenant

Ada delivered the finishing blow. Now, Mathieu's body was back to where he originally slumbered. Noel couldn't bring himself to do it. He could barely look at him. It was torture to see his brother in such a ghastly form, but it felt even worse knowing that he'd be behind the ending of his brother's life for a second time,

"I promised them I'd do it. I don't know how they'd feel if we told them you had to put him down. Say I did it."

Ada understood as she positioned his body straight. It was about respect and she'd be crossing an unfair line if they found out that she was the one who put Mathieu to rest. However, from what it seemed, the Lerouxs could never cross a line. They controlled it. Everything they did was just as unfair no matter the circumstances. So she went ahead and searched his pockets, essentially seeing it as defilement. She felt a bulge—reaching into it, she pulled out his switchblade and snuck it into her sock. Just as Noel turned away to try and inform his relatives inside the house, he summoned her to follow him, but she found that extremely difficult. Suddenly, she diverted his attention back to her by the simple call of his name. As he turned to look at her, she took this as her chance to verify something. Before stepping outside, she asked her brother for his Ghoststrike knife, the only bladed self-defense tool they had between the three of them. Having just utilized it, the tip was stained with dripping, sticky blood that was prone to dry within minutes. She tightened her firm grip around the handle of the blade and took a few steps towards Noel,

"What happened?" she spoke over the numerous crickets in the summer night.

Noel changed his face. Considering what she just did for him, she knew damn well the hell just happened.

"What are you talking about?" Noel asked, rather offended.

"My mom and cousin," she took a few more steps closer, "Are they okay?"

He avoided the question, instead challenged her with his own ego. Ever since she had arrived, her unbreakable willpower was something he belittled yet admired. He looked at her stance—relaxed, but deceptive. She could easily pounce on him if given the opportunity. He looked at the knife she tried to hide behind her thigh and back into her eyes, having part of himself hope that he didn't wrongfully judge her as weak when it came to people she was close to,

"What if I told you they were dead?" He watched her. She inhaled as her sinuses burned, "Would you kill me?"

"Are my mother and cousin okay?" She raised a shaky voice, "Did anyone else...get hurt?"

"Answer the question,"

"I'd like to think I would," she answered, despite interrogating him first.

Noel took a while to answer, having a certain savor for seeing her so on edge,

"Your mother and cousin are fine."

"What did you do?"

"Can we save this for another time?! Like, when I'm not mourning?!" Noel grew frustrated, his skin became red, "Can we at least try and bury my brother first! It's the damn kid's fault my brother is dead anyway!"

She shook her head at the arrogance, causing her wavy locks to move around with her. He had taken the cake a long time ago, but he had proven that he could take so much more. Before he went ahead and did something else that would jeopardize anyone else's life, she had to establish something regardless of her bias of him,

"I told you not to do it. I'm sorry, Noel, but it's your own fault your brother's dead. Not anyone else's."

He searched for a mature comeback, but something else came to mind.

"You're a bitch."

"And you're a dickhead who's done nothing but play the victim. You're a master manipulator and you know how to twist and turn people—even me," she shook her head, "But not anymore. I might have felt bad for you at first but not anymore."

She walked past him, deciding to spare him. Maybe he still had her in his grasp or she didn't have the courage to go through with it. But either way, his eyes still followed her every move just in case she had a sudden change of heart. Judging himself by how spontaneous he operated, he could never be too sure.

Although the news had been altered as it was revealed to the rest of the Lerouxs, it was evident that it was something that needed to be done to help them recover. The only thing left to discuss was how to deal with the elephant in the room, but for the sake of their emotional state, that'd have to be a consultation for another time. Between Augustus, Noel, and Felix, it took three good hours to dig a grave deep enough and large enough to accommodate Mathieu's state and height, being that he was the tallest out of all of his brothers. His "funeral" was taking place to the far left of the house, a place that served as practically nothing but a playground for the children for when they'd visit when they were younger. It was a place that brought back lively and zestful memories. The location wasn't a voted decision or anything, so it was probably subconscious if anything.

After Mathieu was buried, his entire funeral consisted of nothing but whimpers and silence. The Chadwells and Carlos surely had nothing to say. The first to go was Felix, who claimed he had to "use the bathroom" and never returned. Soon afterward, Jolyn disappeared and begged his sister to come with him. It left them in quite a precarious position considering what happened between them all. Eventually, Noel and Augustus were the last two to remain outside. They both stood across from each other, Augustus finding a skinny tree stump to sit on. The two hadn't exchanged many words since their last predicament, but the apparent tension from before had seemingly evaporated,

"I'm sorry…" Noel apologized suddenly, speaking in his native tongue, "This is all my fault." Augustus readjusted himself and took a moment to answer him. Tears welled up in Noel's eyes and he momentarily looked down at the dug up remnants of dirt underneath his shoes, "I understand if you're upset at me. I deserve it this time."

"No," Augustus answered. Giving such a vague answer, it made Noel quite skeptical of what to suspect next. Noel's eyes stayed on him as Augustus stood up, "Whoever killed him. It's their fault," he took a couple steps closer to his son and cautiously placed a firm grip onto his shoulder. Looking directly into his eyes, he pointed at the house and susurrated his voice temptingly, "Was it those children's mother?"

Looking into his father's eyes long enough, Noel could tell that there was something growing wildly in his eyes—a venomous flame. He, himself, had seen it many times before, but not like this. Noel knew that his father was up to no good and that if Mrs. Chadwell had certainly been behind Mathieu's death, who knows what he would've done to Ada and Jolyn. He started off with a mutter, clearly frightened by Augustus' demonic face that night shadows had caused,

"No," Noel shook his head with a tremble, "No, it wasn't. It was the lady's kid. Her little boy pulled the trigger, but it was an accident."

"Hell, I don't give a shit if he meant to shoot something else and the bullet ricocheted," Noel had no idea how to react, mostly because his father hadn't introduced his fist to his face yet. Ultimately, he was at a loss for words. Therefore, Augustus did all the talking, he assertively pointed his other hand into Noel's face, "Don't let that little girl tell you any different. You did the right thing trying to get those guns. Had she kept her damn side of the deal, we wouldn't have come to this."

"...B-but I came back empty-handed," Noel confessed, quite embarrassed.

There was a glimpse of disappointment in Augustus' eye, but there was no room for any other discourse at the moment,

"All you were doing was looking out for your family. You did nothing wrong. And now our boy…" he choked on his emotions, "My boy is six-feet under."

"What are you saying, father?"

"I'm saying we get back at them. Doesn't matter who, but I'm taking someone's life. Might as well kill that damn husband of hers."

"Father…"

"Come on, Noel, don't give up on me now. I need you to be on my side with this! We lost Mathieu and it's only a matter of time before we lose Ines. We have to send them a message," Augustus studied his son's unconfident demeanor, which was an appearance he never possessed. He was always so sure of his choices, but it seemed like this incident really rattled him. Thinking back to their past argument, Augustus knew of a way to get his son on board with him, "Don't you want to avenge your brother? Your mother? I'd do it with or without you, but I'd especially avenge you. And you know Mathieu would too," He swallowed as if it were a sudden charge, "I love you."

After hearing the three notorious words that he had heard coming from the mouths of other's parents, he was hooked like a cod on a fishing rod. The reluctance was no longer there and he was fully on board with his father—something Augustus had hoped for. What was even more shocking to Noel was that Augustus planned to do it that same exact night. There was no telling when, but he refused to let Ines turn before getting back at the enemies. So he prepared himself, grabbing the handgun that Mathieu formerly possessed. Noel got himself prepared as well, grabbing the remaining few shells for his shotgun. Attaching it to a sling, he hung it on his shoulder and searched the house basement. Just as planned, he searched the recycling bags for beer bottles and carried them up in a black crate.

Jolyn, Carlos, and Ada were both accompanying Ines, who wasn't at all spiteful towards them. If there was anyone they had felt most sympathetic for, it had to be Ines. A wonderful woman like her wasn't deserving of this and if there was anything they could do to reverse the effects from a bite, they would most certainly act on it. However, after noticing the father and son's behavior, Carlos was the first to get up after noticing their antics. Standing and looking outside through the screen door, he noticed them putting things in the trunk of his car. He patted down his pockets,

"Shit…" he muttered to himself, realizing that they never returned his keys.

Boldly exiting the house, Carlos stood atop the porch just as Augustus and Noel were making their way back,

"What are you doing with my car?"

"Stay out of this, Carlos" Augustus mumbled.

However, he shuffled his footing to the side, blocking the perpetrators from walking back into the house. He called out to Ada and Jolyn, hoping for a little assistance; unlikely reinforcements, but it was better than being solo. They, too, exited the house after realizing something strange was happening,,

"What's going on?" Ada questioned.

"Their loading my truck," Carlos held out his hand, "I want my keys. Give them back."

Ada rolled her eyes with a scoff,

"What the hell is going on now?" Her eyes moved over to Noel, "Noel!?"

"We're going back," Noel confessed, "We just...want to clear something up."

"Like what?" Jolyn stood by the door with his arms crossed, "We at least deserve to know."

"Yeah? Well, that's none of your business," August said, notably disrespecting Jolyn for the first time.

"It is our business! You're taking my truck!" Carlos shouted.

Their shouts were disrupting the peace—or rather, the unhappiness—causing Ines to walk up to the door and witness everything that was happening.

"Listen to me, you three," Augustus asserted, he lifted three fingers, pointing it at each of them, "You don't have to get involved with this. Trust me. Trust us! We've met your mother and Noel told me you have a cousin. We aren't going to hurt them. This is between us, that lady, her son, and her husband. None of you are involved in this."

"You think that makes it any better?!" Carlos huffed out his chest as he walked closer to the edge.

Ada stopped them and walked in between the both of them. Eventually, she got the chance to slip away and power walked towards the Volkwagon, unprepared for what she was about to see next. Noel shouted words at her, hoping to get her attention, but once that was shown to be ineffective, he grabbed her from behind and attempted to lift her back. Squirming around, she elbowed him in the face, reopening a small cut in his nostril from one of the fights with his father. Augustus held in a laugh as Noel's head flew back and instantly dropped her to her feet to cover his nose. Eventually, the bloody nose became something minor, and he charged behind her for a challenge.

"Oh, shit! Go! Go! Go!" Jolyn rushed Carlos, jumping off the stairs behind him.

With the interior of the car automatically lit due to the opened trunk, Ada was able to perfectly see everything that was inside: A crate of empty beer bottles, old ripped cloth & t-shirts, and a black plastic gas tank. Coming in from the side, Augustus interrupted the scene and closed the trunk,

"Augustus, you can't do this," Ada practically begged.

"We need to do this! I'm not letting that lady get away with something else! She was the one who jeopardized my son's safety in the first place and now it's because of her son that mine is gone!"

"We understand that you're angry, but you guys just need to get inside and think this through!" Jolyn attempted to rationalize. Frankly, Jolyn was the last person that Augustus wanted to mouth off with. And despite not ever really getting the time to know him, Noel felt the same way. A look of uncertainty appeared on both of their faces, but the torrid emotion they felt in both of their bones was impossible to shake off. Jolyn begged once more, "Please!"

But it couldn't get through to them. It just couldn't. They couldn't let any more time pass. Ines thought that her presence would at least inspire them to do what was right, but it did the very opposite. Seeing Ines did nothing but make them want to hurt someone else more—and who a better candidate than Penelope? Even if they declared plenty of times before that they wanted no part in it, Ada requested that they let them off their farm. But there was no way Augustus was going to allow that to happen. Instead, he left them no other choice but to stay on the farm to at least keep Ines the company, it was a debt they owed him—according to him. But the Chadwells made it very clear that their debt was cleared up a long time ago. Then again, they could have left if they wanted to a long time ago, but a single gaze into the dark, misty roads was all they needed as a reminder as to why they were fearful in the first place: Reanimated populated the streets more and more with each passing night. With the calming of the countryside surroundings, especially that of the night, the horde was catching up to the more residential parts of Quebec. It was yet another mental game Augustus was playing, giving them a mixed message on whether or not he cared for their safety and it was a simple scare tactic to get them to stay in their place.

Jolyn ran off to get Felix, hoping that the youngest Leroux still had the charisma to shift this entire situation, but it was even more shocking when Felix harshly accepted his father's proposal. He didn't even bother fighting back once Augustus explained everything to him. From the looks of it, Mathieu's death truly did hit Felix the hardest, seeing that and Jolyn shared so many similar qualities, especially that of feeling like the lost younger brother. Maybe it was anger? Or maybe it was to avoid dishonor from his father?

Before they all knew it, the New York trio was looking at the blinding headlights of Carlos' car as it quickly reversed out of the farm, kicking up shreds of grass and dirt and leaving tire tracks in its place. Felix, being the swiftest, was able to open the farm fence and close it before hopping into the back of the cruising van. Just as their eyes followed the car that sped along the road, Jolyn was the first to walk off, being the most heartbroken. All Ada and Carlos could do was exchange glares of uncertainty.

* * *

"I'm telling you, it was one of the farm boys. I recognized their faces!" Dora argued.

"How?" Merwyn probed, "They both had on masks."

"Are you positive?" Arne joined, resting his palms on her shoulders, "I understand that you're children are on your mind right now, but we can't just jump to conclusions. We can't go down there looking for trouble and we aren't even sure it's them."

Dora shrugged herself away from the temporary drunk, slightly upset at him and Merwyn for their carelessness. Penelope couldn't vouch for Dora because she had only seen the boys twice, and each time she did, she didn't exactly think they were unique enough to take note of. Not only that, but she was upstairs attempting to put Hunter's mind at ease. Ever since the shooting, she was relieved that he wasn't harmed, but he was in constant distress since having murdered that young man. She didn't know whether it was a good or bad thing that he used her gun, but his actions managed to send them running. Dora left the living room, leaving both men to sulk in their own humiliation. She approached Hunter's bedroom, seeing Penelope coddle her son no differently than she would her oldest. After Penelope noticed her, she walked away after promising that she would return and silently closed the door behind her. With the intention to lower her voice because she could undoubtedly be heard by everyone upstairs, Dora apologized frequently, holding in bottled up emotions that could detonate at any given moment. Penelope grabbed Dora by the elbow and moved her further away from Hunter's bedroom to discuss something important,

"Those masked men. Are you really sure it was them?" Penelope whispered, glancing to the side unsurely.

"I.." Dora looked down, having her frazzled ends droop in front of her face. After all of the confidence, she was now beginning to doubt herself, "I think it was."

Penelope sighed and placed her hands on her hips, almost in a state of physical exhaustion although it was entirely mental. However, she was still very much on board with Dora's little hunch.

"What do you suggest we do now?"

"I just want my kids. Nothing more, nothing less." Dora whined.

"Alright," Penelope answered plain and simple, "Get yourself ready. We're taking my car.."

"What…?" Dora asked in disbelief, thinking that was way too easy.

"We're going to get Jolyn, Ada, and Carlos."

There was nothing left to say, Dora searched the house for Emberly and located her in the bathroom crying her eyes out. Being the most protective aunt she could be, she felt it was more of a fault to keep the youngest in the dark. Dora had always been a very blunt person, especially when it came to teaching her children life lessons and she treated Emberly no different than her own child. But when the apocalypse came around, it didn't hurt to keep a little of the truth from her. This time, however, proved that it could be detrimental to the youngster. Then yet again, she might have hidden half the truth from her, still telling her that she'd only be going out with Penelope for a while, whereas Penelope did the same with Hunter. Dora walked into the kitchen and grabbed a small knife with Penelope's a-ok.

"Where are you two going?" Arne asked following them both to the entrance.

"We're going to the farm to pick up the kids," Penelope announced pridefully.

Dora opened the door but was greeted by a reanimated just as her face was turned. Reflexively, she reached with her arm outward, placing her hand just beneath its throat. She shoved it back into the porch's wooden column and drove the knife through the side of its head, digging the knife deeper and deeper as she forced it in with all her might. Easily pulling the knife out, the reanimated fell to the ground. She turned back, shoving her hairs out of her face,

"Let's go."

Just as the Canadian mother followed her through the front door, Arne grabbed her by the wrist,

"I'm coming with you."

"No. You and Merwyn can watch the kids. Plus you're still drunk," she finalized. And although she had made her point, Arne just couldn't seem to let go of her arm. He looked at her, completely worried by this redeeming choice she was about to make. She reached up and kissed him on the mouth, "I'll be okay," turning away, she walked down the porch, allowing Dora to follow her, "Come on, we'll clean that up later."

Reaching in her pocket, she pulled out her remote key and unlocked her car. Like a pair of femme fatales, they climbed into the front seat and quickly exited the lane. Dora wasn't a fan of fast driving and she often had anxieties when it came to driving fast on freeways. It wasn't important before, but she remembered the imploded feeling she had felt when being driven from New York to Montreal. The feeling came back, but even then it was a matter of life and death and a matter of her children's safety. She wasn't going to let her fears get the best of her in this situation. However, as they sped through the streets they noticed a slight increase in the number of reanimated on the margins and outskirts of the road,

"It really is hell out here, huh?" Dora remarked.

As they sped through the streets for nearly eighteen minutes they swerved into the opposite lane to avoid being backed up by the dead, however, there was a sudden appearance of a car cutting sharply through another curved lane. Penelope instinctively stomped her foot on the breaks and turned the steering wheel to avoid crashing. Dora shrieked in the passenger's seat, holding onto dear life out of fear that the car would flip over. Thankfully, Penelope's quick thinking allowed them to live and see another minute,

"That asshole had his headlights off!" Penelope said as her heart beat apace.

Dora turned from her front seat to see the car speed off,

"Oh shit…"

"What?"

"That's Carlos' car, it's them again! They're going back to the lakehouse!"

"What?! We're going back!"

"No, Penelope!" Dora roared, placing her palm on top of hers as she touched the gear shift, "We're so close to the farm. We can just pick them up and come back!"

"But...I—My son!" Penelope began to panic.

"I understand you're worried about him, but you promised me I could see my children. Please! Maybe they can help!"

It took a moment longer than Dora hoped, causing a couple of reanimated to pound on the glass of her car. But Penelope pushed aside her pride for once and put a fellow mother before herself. She shifted the gear back into drive and corrected her car on the lane, speeding down the road.

* * *

Ines was at a loss for words and had not a clue on what to say to the three young kids who were under her unrequested and unwanted watch. She was in despair for her family. Maybe when Mathieu's body returned home lifeless, she was just as angry, but she wanted nothing more than to spend time with him again and to treasure the moment she had with her unharmed sons. However, when she got bitten, all of her previous feelings changed. The fact that Augustus, Noel, and Felix had chosen revenge over her, stung the mightiest she had ever felt in her life. She was so terrified of what this world had turned others into, but now her own family was part of that issue. People did things they didn't want to when they were afraid and although the apple didn't fall too far from the tree, Noel wasn't the individual he was today. Ines could feel her grapple to life slowly slip away. This was the moment she feared most of all. She took a simple stroll to the bathroom, never having felt so caught in stillness before. She looked at her face: sweaty, pale gray skin and veined eyes. She let out a weak cough and looked down at the surface of her balled up fists. Unsure if what she was seeing was right, she reached for a piece of toilet paper and polished around the creases of her thumb and index finger: It was blood. Very minimal but something that would most likely worsen over time. She walked out of the bathroom and turned directly down the corridor. At the end of the path was the door that served as a portal to the outside world. She could overhear the remaining teens, debate on whether they should leave or not. The only ones who were in favor of leaving were Ada and Carlos. Jolyn didn't want to stay, but for the sake of their safety, he thought it would be the smartest thing to do until morning. "We don't have until morning!" she heard one of them say. She eavesdropped on their conversation without detection; already picking up traits of the demons she feared so much. Her eyes went beyond the porch and looked into the streets, seeing about nine reanimated within yards of each other. Jolyn, possessing a stance that harnessed robustness, was the first to look over his shoulder and notice Ines. He was hesitant to talk to the mother, unsure whether or not she had shown her true colors like her hypocritical sons,

"Go," she muttered. They all turned to look at her. Balling up her fists, she began to cough once again, "Try and stop them."

"How? They have the car," Carlos said, understanding that she was attempting to give good advice.

"My husband has attempted to poison my sons since they were little. Most of the time I tried to stop him...but I also failed," everyone watched her open up in silence. Even now, they felt that the situation was too sensitive. Ines let out another cough and began speaking, "It's...it's too late to cry. But I never imagined that this would happen—going like this," she looked over at Ada, "You're such a beautiful and courageous girl. You had the courage to say things I couldn't even tell my own son. Maybe had I spoken up a bit more they all would've listened…"

"I'm very sorry, Miss Ines," Jolyn apologized.

Ines tried to respond, but the coughs began to pick up and empower, nearly throwing her over. She turned away and walked further into the house, fearing that this disease or whatever it was, was airborne. All of the teens fought to get the door open and assist her. But she insisted that she would be fine. She settled onto the living room sofa,

"But Ines…" Ada started, she placed hair behind both ears, "If we leave you alone…"

"I know what will happen…" she said weakly. Her narrow lips trembled, "I don't want to turn but...it isn't your job to deliver me from this. This...this will be their punishment."

Everyone in the room got immediate chills. To Jolyn, Ines wasn't just a stranger who took him in and fed him, but a woman who really proved her worth as a comrade and a mother. It was unacceptable to compare them both, but that was thing about building relationships with people: Each person brought something different to the table, and Ines was capable of repairing parts of Jolyn that his own mother would fail at no matter how hard she tried. He was the first to embrace her, ignoring the 'bad juju' she thought coated her exterior. Instead of apologizing, he had to remind her of her accomplishments and hospitality, thus making her feel she had proven herself to be the perfect mother she always wanted to be. Ada and Carlos were next, actually encouraging her to stand and engage with them. She held Jolyn's face one last time, being a native French speaker, she stumbled in search for the correct words,

"It's impossible to ignore what's happening right now and the reason it's happening is because you all have changed my family. You've challenged them. And with challenge comes difficulties. It's just going the wrong way because of the times we are in. Now, go save your family. Please."

They all gave a tear-jerking farewell to Ines and exited the farmhouse. Being the only two armed, the twins were tasked with clearing the few that were lingering the streets. Carlos stood behind the twins and whistled loudly, waving and calling the stumbling critters to the gate. Holding their knives upright, Jolyn and Ada transpierced the brutes through the sides and backs of heads—if not the temples. Ultimately, they piled up six bodies in front of the gate and hopped it, stealth killing corpses as they made it down the dark streets.

A few minutes later, and the walk revealed itself to be a rather long one. They were all glistening with sweat and reanimated blood,

"We're never going to make it there in time," Jolyn complained.

"Shit!" Carlos exclaimed. He pointed to car lights driving down the dark road, "Hide!"

Taking his advice, everyone crawled and crouched into the long fields of grass, keeping lookout for not only the car but for bloodthirsty reanimated who seemed to never waste time looking for a kill. Suddenly, the car they were looking out for slowed down a few feet away from them in the street. They heard the person exiting their car and just as Jolyn was getting ready to get a peek, he was tugged back down at the shoulder by Carlos, who warned him not put themselves in danger. Suddenly, they heard someone communicating with another woman,

"Let's go!" the first voice said.

"I saw three of them out here," a painfully similar voice said.

She was a mid-aged woman with a slight West Indian accent. And the odds of that being in the middle of Quebec during the apocalypse was almost close to nothing. Ada and Jolyn exchanged stunned looks with one another, dropping or covering their mouths.

"I told you, it was just those things out there. Now get in quick before you get bit!"

"Mom!?" Ada poked her head through the grass.

Just as Dora was preparing to get back into the car, she looked about into the dark outskirts, afraid she might have been losing her mind—but something in her begged to differ,

"Ada?!"

Ada cautiously walked out of the tall fields with Jolyn and Carlos. Without question, the twins weakly walked into her arms. She held the both of them, squeezing them tightly as tears crept out of her eyes. As she noticed Carlos—the tallest out of all of them—she opened her hands, calling for Carlos's face to join the reunion. She gave him two hard kisses on his forehead, making up for the affection she hasn't given them for weeks. However, regretful of cutting their reunion short, Penelope honked, forewarning them of the fresh carcasses that strolled towards them. The teens were packed into the back of Penelope's small car just before she swerved the streets like a pro and made a u-turn.

Within the little time that they had, they caught up on everything: Noel's ambush, Mathieu's death, Ines' bite, and the impending surprise that Augustus had for them surrounding all of those events, ultimately unaware that they the mothers already saw Carlos' Volkswagen on the road. Usually, there were things to talk about in a car filled with people, but not during a time like this. The anticipation made the drive feel endless. Penelope's focus was to get back to Hunter, and no matter how many times Dora assured her that Arne would be the one to keep him safe, it went through one ear and right out the other. She gave back no response that indicated she felt the same way. It was already past midnight and into the early morning, having the horizon brighter than the rest of the night sky. Thankfully, Penelope reached the lake house in time as she swerved through the lanes, frightening everyone with her sharp turns, she skidded to a stop as Carlos' Volkswagen came into sight, blocking off the rest of the path early on. She removed her keys from the ignition and was the first to exit the car with the others following her. Their groups galloping turned into creeps soon after they heard voices between Augustus and Arne. Dora took a quick peek out from behind a tree, seeing Arne outside and standing beside Merwyn, with each child held close to them. However, a misguided step caused a branch to snap underneath her foot. Quickly, requesting her son's knife, Dora pledged to put it to good to use. Just as expected, the noise drew in one of the men patrolling the lake house. He walked into a sectioned off grove and Mrs. Chadwell snuck in from the side before he could fully turn around and threw him against a tree. She pressed the tip of the knife against his throat. He shook and trembled, having his Adam's apple slightly press against the tip with each uneasy gulp. He would've tried to overpower the wench, but realized that it wouldn't be the wisest idea after seeing the faces that emerged from the shadows behind her. Everyone looked over at him; the teens immediately recognizing Felix. As badly as Jolyn wanted to beg his mother to not harm him, he did himself a favor by holding his tongue. From afar, they could hear the dispute between the other half of the group,

"Why are you doing this?" Merwyn questioned the Frenchmen.

"Because," Augustus started while looking over at Arne, "That wife of yours did nothing but play us," he counted as he had an unlit Molotov in hand. Arne, realizing how dire of a situation this was, tried to take up for his wife and explain that she really had intentions of giving him the weapons she promised. When he realized that wasn't working, he tried agreeing with them, but Augustus could do nothing but laugh—very arrogantly at that. Noel watched his father as if he was losing more than his mind. He couldn't react anymore, still feeling seemingly empty after his brother's eternal farewell. Augustus looked at the four of them, "You expect me to believe that? She swindled us. She swindled us and got my son killed! And after I'm finished burning down this house...you both will see," he pointed towards Hunter and Arne.

Arne shoved Hunter behind him,

"You lay a finger on my son and I promise you, you'll wish you hadn't."

"Nothing else will matter to me by then," Augustus dismissed.

Throughout the controversy, Felix attempted to shoot his shot figuring that now would be best to inform every one of his genuine actions.

"Jolyn!" he whispered sharply, wincing as Dora didn't ease off of him one bit.

Everyone, except Penelope, looked over at him,

"Please, I—you don't understand. I—"

"Don't talk to him!" Dora whispered sharply.

Throughout the commotion and sudden movements, she accidentally nicked a thin layer of his skin, causing him to bleed on the side of his neck.

"Please, just listen to me…"

Jolyn separated himself from Ada and Carlos. Jolyn relaxed his mother's grip by signaling her to be a little more gentle. He looked Felix in the eye and carried on despite his mother's refusal, "What don't we understand?"

"I came to stop them," he claimed, "I wasn't going to let my dad and Noel get away with this."

They all looked on perplexed, especially Jolyn, more surprised by the fact that he didn't figure this out sooner—in other words, his liking for Felix caused him to be believed right away without much evidence.

"How?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but I wanted to help...somehow."

"How do we know if we can trust you?" Dora interrogated.

"You don't have to trust me. But after all the time we've spent together, Jolyn, you just have to take my word for it, because it's the only choice you've all got. Now, if you happen to release me to my father, I'll do what I can. Just follow my lead and you'll know what to do."

His eyes hadn't shifted once and Jolyn recognized his look as a gaze he had received multiple times when they were alone, confiding in one another. It was a look he recognized when they first met.

"Fine," Jolyn obliged, "But if anyone gets hurt...just know that there's seven of us and three of you."

Jolyn kindly requested his mother to liberate Felix, but it wasn't that simple as long as Penelope was around.

Augustus threw the first ignited cocktail, hurling it through the upstairs window. From the outside, you could see the bright, orange flames grow and fester, illuminating from the outside like a fireplace. Penelope's eyes widened, refusing to give Augustus what he sought. Just as she reached into her back pocket to retrieve her Kahr, Augustus was lighting his second bottle. She stepped out from behind the tree and prepared for a finisher shot, but his preparation to throw the bottle came in the way. Once she pulled the trigger, in seconds, the Molotov burst into fiery shards of glass while in his hand. For a small gun, it packed quite a punch. Augustus yelled and knelt to the ground, quickly removing his jacket before it could spread to the rest of him. Noel quickly ran to his father's aid to pat away the remaining flames on his collar and hand, but nothing seemed to work. Quickly, he ran through the side the house and dipped his entire arm into the lake, ousting the flames almost immediately. Penelope stepped further out still having her gun pointed. Noel aimed back after noticing them.

Just as Arne wanted to take a step to welcome her back, Noel fixed his shotgun's sights on him, indecisively switching back and forth between them,

"DON'T MOVE!" He bellowed in undilated anger.

Augustus returned clenching his hand with the other. He looked almost pleased to see that Penelope returned, like a prize in his eyes. Under the orders of his father, he was commanded to shoot a hole in her stomach. Thankfully for his hesitance, Dora was able to present Felix along with the three he thought he left imprisoned back at the farm. The ignorant smile that marked Augustus' face was wiped clean off. He cursed to himself in French, ultimately bamboozled by how they managed to make it there in the time they did.

"Unhand my son," Augustus demanded.

"Not until you let go of our family," Penelope replied.

The crackling flames in the background grew louder and eventually immersed itself throughout the house. The floors were heard crumbling, glassware was heard shattering, and the scent of combusting woodwork made itself known. The overgrown blazes were strong enough to emit a warmth so intense that everyone had to squint their eyes as if they were looking directly into the sun. It gave off a blazing whirl of fire, moving long locks that sat on some of their heads. The flames that Augustus stood in front of was fitting, illuminating behind his sturdy yet dark silhouette.

"Noel, why are you doing this?" Ada questioned, looking over at him from the corner of her eye, "Is this really what you want?"

"Shutup," Augustus pointed his pistol at her, growing fed up with her psychoanalyzing, "Just shut up, little girl," he glared at her. Although it was in her to bite back, she did what she was told, hoping to avoid provoking the wicked man and escalating the situation even further. She remembered how berserk he became when he was angry and having a hostage for a son would probably no longer matter. A look of delight appeared on his smug face after she listened, allowing him to point his handgun back at Arne's stomach, who was standing inches beside him, "Now, let go of my son," he demanded Penelope.

Dora held onto the locks Felix's ruffled hair, tightly.

"Release them," Dora said, voice trembling.

"No," Augustus shook his head, "One for one."

Felix looked over at Jolyn from the corner of his eye since his head was locked forward. With a subtle nod, Jolyn looked over to his mother, who was prompted to fearfully look back. She placed on her bravest face but knew she was terrified deep down, positive she could never bring herself to murder another man's child. She never had the balls and whether or not she was going to release him now...she would have probably wound up doing it at some point. Felix was passed over to Penelope, who felt a lot differently. Unless her son was harmed, Felix would undoubtedly be the first to suffer the consequences and Augustus could tell by the ferocity in the young mother's eyes that she was not to be tampered with. So if he wanted to get out of this situation with both sons, he had to play this safe and smart. Felix held his arms up as he felt a gun pressed against his spine,

"We're trusting you," she whispered, "Don't mess this up."

"Which one is it?" Augustus began sweating due to the flames.

"Take the boy, please…" Arne pleaded.

Augustus held out his hand for Hunter to grab hold of. Rightfully so, the young boy was terrified until he was manhandled by the stranger and held by the back of his thin neck. Just so Arne wouldn't try anything out of line, Noel stood beside him and kept his shotgun aimed at him. Emberly remained behind Merwyn, hoping that she too could be traded over to her family. None of this made sense to her—she went from being a seventh grader to being a captive in just a few months. From where she hid, Hunter was weeping in hopes of being reunited back with his mother. Augustus and Penelope copied each other's slow paces so that the trade-off could be done at the exact same moment, but Penelope was so bent upon the hopes of getting back her son that she released Felix seconds earlier without realizing. She reached both arms out for Hunter to run into her arms, but he was tugged back by his collar while Felix was yanked away,

"NO!" she shrieked, seeing the tip of his gun placed back on Hunter's head.

As a response for everyone's urge to jump on him, Augustus showed Hunter to everyone like a captured animal readied for poaching, reminding them that a simple pull of the trigger could end his innocent life. Arne was the only one who hoped he could do something, catching Noel off guard, but the teen bested him by snatching away his shotgun out of the soldier's grip and hitting him in the face with the butt of the shotgun. Arne grunted and fell to the ground, getting a cut above his browbone.

"You took my son from me," Augustus announced, "An eye for an eye!"

Penelope looked over at Felix and could see the young boy edging behind his father,

"...will make the whole world blind…" Jolyn interjected.

"What?!" Augustus shouted in disgust, upset that he had never heard that part of the quote before.

"An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind," Jolyn repeated.

If they didn't know any better, they would've figured that those words might have had an effect on him, considering how unsure he looked afterward. He started at the young boy held tightly to his chest. Suddenly, he felt a hard blow on the back of his head. As soon as Hunter felt the arm around him go limp, he beamed into his mother's arms the first chance he got. Augustus, on the other hand, looked up from his hands and knees, still dizzy from the blow,

"Imbécile..." he spat at Felix.

Noel stared at his brother in complete ambivalence. Taken completely off guard, Arne managed to grapple over the shotgun overpower him by slamming Noel to the ground. Immediately clasping his hands around his throat, he began to strangle the life out of Noel.

The Chadwells were reunited with Emberly and Merwyn as they both ran over to them. But what now? They had no place to turn to and the war between the groups was imminent. However, something else managed to force in and make itself a priority. Ada was the first to turn around and recognize shadowy figures making their way through the woodlands. Unsure whether it could've been an effect that the voluminous flames were giving off, it took the hand of a reanimated to say otherwise. Ada shouted and jumped backward, knocking nearly everyone off their feet like bowling pins. Before they knew it, they were nearly surrounded. They all quickly picked themselves up and began fighting with whatever they could find.

Being the only ones with weapons, Penelope, Ada, Jolyn, and Dora tried fighting off as many as they could. But no matter how many they fought off, they seemed to keep be closing in on them more and more.

Hunter and Emberly were behind Merwyn, who appointed himself as their valuable guardian that night. Eventually, they were cut off and somewhat cornered,

"The boat! Both of you go on the boat!"

"But—" Emberly began crying, having snot collect above her upper lip.

"GO! SO YOU CAN LIVE! GO!"

"MOM!" Hunter cried out, "MOMMY!"

"GO, HUNTER! GO!" she screeched, taking a reanimated down with her last bullet, "TAKE EMBERLY AND KEEP EACH OTHER SAFE!"

Hunter looked at the house, having the growing flames reflect in his dark brown eyes. Running around the edge of the house was a no-go since the pier was pretty much engulfed in flames. His little rowboat—The Hunter—was floating adrift and the only way they could catch up with it was by swimming towards it.

"But I can't swim!" Emberly shouted.

They both saw Merwyn turn to see a reanimated grab hold of his shoulder. Hastily slipping out his thin jacket, he wrapped the reanimated in it and kicked it into the massive flames. Just then, Hunter made a staunch choice. He grabbed Emberly's hand and jumped into the lake with her no matter how much she resisted. The lake was freezing that night. Hunter's head stood afloat but was dragged down for a short second before he could feel Emeberly's hand and pull her above. She coughed violently as she held onto his shoulders and continued kicking through the water to catch up with the boat. After a tiring swim, Hunter helped push her in first before pulling himself in next. As the boat floated further out the lake, both preteens watched as a massive explosion occurred for whatever reason. Ada was the last who could be heard giving a bloodcurdling scream. Before they knew it, they were so far out of range that the thickening smoke and bright flames made the surrounding site impossible to see. Too shocked to even react, the kids sat in silence as the waters rocked them elsewhere.

But from afar, someone was looking through a pair of binoculars seeing the boat carry the two remaining survivors.

* * *

 **A/N: The official name of this chapter is supposed to be "Blood of the Covenant", but the chapter titles only allow a certain amount of characters. It's supposed to be a direct continuation of "Water of the Womb". Both titles are taken from a single quote.**

 **(Update 12/30/18: Managed to fit the entire title)**


	11. Episode 11 - EMBER Alert

The sun had finally risen after some hours now. Despite the reanimated lingering around twenty-four-seven, daylight was the only thing that seemed to keep them at bay for some reason—uninteresting reasons for the time being. Then again, just as it did the dead, it did just as well of a job keeping humans less on edge about everything.

Hunter opened his eyes and looked up at Emberly, who hadn't slept since the ordeal with the Lerouxs. She sat in the boat, wind blowing through her damp, thick hair, and stared into the horizon. The lake house was certainly visible, but it was so minuscule, she could reach her arm out and put her thumb over it. The fire had died down and the only thing left was an endless smoke screen that tickled the underbelly of the sky. Hunter took control of the rowboat and rowed to a nearby, rocky shoreline, officially reaching the other side of the lake. He offered to help Emberly, who took time to respond before grabbing his hand and being successfully being pulled onto shore. They must have remained in the same spot for at least a minute before deciding what to do next,

"Can you stop looking over there?" Hunter asked, slightly agitated by Emberly.

He understood that she missed them, but the more she looked, the more he kept being reminded of the possible outcome of his parents and friends. In his mind, he just wanted to believe they were okay and that was final. Her initial instinct was to ignore him and carry on about her business, but she looked at his face, she understood that he was just a mere reflection of the person she was right now,

"What are we gonna do?" she looked around, seeing that shore branched out into yet another forest with tall trees and wildly grown bushes.

"We stay here and we wait," Hunter grabbed a stick and began poking it into the wet mud.

Emberly was afraid to say something that might ruin his pipedream, but it came down to the reality of it all,

"Why?" she wondered.

"In case they come and find us."

"What if they don't…?"

"They will."

Emberly didn't answer. Maybe Hunter was right, maybe there was a possibility that they survived. They weren't _that_ far from the lakehouse and Merwyn had a clear vision o where the boat was directed.

The lakeshore had multiple rocks of various sizes. She walked around and found herself a good one, sitting on the rock for further relaxation. However, her moment was cut short when she saw the nightmares of the world stumbling out from behind some nearby trees. Thankfully, it hadn't noticed them yet. Her mouth dropped open and she quickly ran over to Hunter, breathing panicked as she stood beside him. Once she pointed it out, Hunter looked around for something useful,

"Forget it! Just run!" Emberly whispered.

As the pre-teens both began to take off, the reanimated took notice of them seconds after Emberly was the last to vanish within the timberlands. The reanimated used most of its capability to follow the children, but once it walked into the forest, they were nowhere to be found. So it carried on, ambling through the forest with only one thing on its mind. The escape through the forest was like an Olympian track run, having to dash and hurdle over logs and the biggest boulders every few seconds to make it through these untouched part of the woods. The trees were especially taller and became narrower when you looked into the skies—at least from Emberly's perspective. She watched the squirrels and birds jump from tree to tree, living in a constant state of safety and the unknowing. Never did she think that she would become envious of the little critters that did nothing but terrorize New Yorkers. Suddenly, Hunter called her over. Too lost in her own daydreams, she looked around for him and saw him between a crowd of smaller trees and bushes. Creeping towards him, she jumped back at the sight of a reanimated reaching out to grab her. Thankfully, both of its legs were broken and it was laying on the ground, in a seemingly monstrous and painful state. It was an adult man in a neon orange safety jacket. His specific occupation was unknown but it was quite clear that he was working in the forest before his time ended,

"What do you think happened to him?" Hunter asked, taking a keen interest in the upsetting scene.

He was crouched a couple of feet away from it. Being that they were both exposed to this type of grotesqueness, they were rarely upset by any of the flashy blood and gore. Emberly looked up, squinting her eyes at the glares of sunlight that beamed through the fluttering leaves,

"Maybe he fell from up there," she suggested, pointing to some gear made for climbing. It was the only thing to explain the broken legs.

"Think he might have anything on him?"

As Hunter took a step forward, Emberly grabbed his arm,

"What are you doing?"

"I just want to check his pockets."

"Should we..." she gulped as Hunter looked at her, waiting for her to finish her sentence, "Should we kill it?" she completed.

Hunter shrugged, which essentially meant _I guess_. Emberly looked around, seeing a variety of branches that might have given way along with the reanimated's fall. One in particular had to be held with both hands and had a pointed end. She quaked around the reanimated to retrieve it. Hunter followed, standing behind as he observed her. Once she reached for it, she held it as if it were a spear and crept towards the reanimated as its hands tirelessly stretched outward to try and grab hold of them. Impulsively, she took a step back without removing her eyes,

"You do it," she offered the stick to Hunter, allowing it to be pressed to his chest. But he couldn't do it either. Even though they were told time and time again that these creatures weren't human, it was still impossible to come to terms with. The hardest part wasn't seeing them as non-human, it was intentionally shedding the blood. They're whole lives they've been condition and trained to not harm anyone and suddenly, they're supposed to consciously kill. They would've liked to believe that a gun would things easier but they weren't so certain after what happened with the masked men. It was something Hunter never wanted to experience again. Emberly spoke, talking over the reanimated's constant growling, "I guess neither of us can do it," she said, feeling relieved that she might have not only been the weak-willed one.

Surprisingly unbothered, they both picked up where they left off and walked straight ahead, leaving the critter to hopefully be taken care of by someone else. Emberly wasn't usually the one to take initiative. She may have not noticed it, but Hunter certainly did. She tended to be a follower, rarely ever voicing her own opinion unless she was put the test. She followed Hunter, confident that he knew his way back to the boat as he had convinced. Eventually, they wandered into an open space, vacant of trees unlike the rest of the forest. In their place was a large log harvester: A massive, green, six-wheeled vehicle with tires nearly as tall as the misplaced children. Two pairs of its front wheels were wrapped in metal caterpillar tracks. Its pair of back wheels were slightly larger than the four in the front and was wrapped in chains to tolerate the terrain. Most engrossing of all was a large appendage that craned out from the front of it, similar to a scorpion's tail. Both of the children were fascinated by it, having seen nothing like it before in their lives. At the very end of the tail was a complex claw-mechanism that held onto a trunk that it had sawed through entirely. Although it was quite the sight, Hunter wanted to take a closer look.

Emberly wasn't the type to be stereotypical because she grew up in a family full of complicated women, so it'd be entirely against her belief to think any differently of boys. Jolyn, for example, wasn't the stereotypical boy who loved to be roughhoused, watch or play sports, or fall in love with cars; but Hunter seemed to be just that. And the fact that he had come across a never-before-seen vehicle was like discovering a new species. Emberly looked around at her surroundings, hearing the light winds do as much as rattle leaves around. She was sure that they were in complete solitude, but she was right to feel unsure,

"Come on, let's get going," she said. The young girl attempted to forcibly turn his shoulder, but he didn't budge. He was too captivated by what he felt he had personally unearthed. The one time he turned to face her, he was handing her the large stick she had found a couple of yards back. She caught the sparkle that was present in his eye and wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to be the one to put it. Her right leg rattled nervously, "Hunter…" she began mumbling, "What are you doing?"

"We've been walking for a long time," he said, thinking up some feeble excuse, "Let's just take a break."

He ran around to its left side and spotted a two-tier step that led to the door, which was left wide open. To be sure he wasn't being supervised by anyone, he turned around and poorly scanned the wood with his eyes, missing things that definitely could've been a threat. Concerned, his comrade questioned his ability to operate it. He didn't answer such a nonsensical question. Instead, he ignored her. It was for the mere purpose of either making small talk or to stall him because he was positive there wasn't a twelve-year-old alive who could operate this kind of beast. He climbed into the one-seated interior and fancied all of the buttons. At the very forefront was a white keyboard with specs of dirt all over it that gave him the jitters. If he didn't know any better he could've sworn he saw some dead bugs. Below the keyboard was a blank monitor. In between his skinny legs were a pair of shafts he saw as two tall joysticks. On the very top of them sat a device that looked like a game controller with multiple translucent and yellow buttons and grey analog sticks. Something in him told him that if he could at least figure out how to operate one thing, it would automatically make him a genius. Emberly watched from outside, guessing that it could be doing some good since it successfully took his mind off his parents. Suddenly the vehicle made a loud growl once it was powered on. Hunter looked at Emberly through the window and cheered silently as she covered her ears in fright and took a bunch of steps back to avoid any danger. The monitor powered on and took a second or two to load, displaying confounding numbers and words he didn't know the meaning of. Either way, he boldly made his first move with the analog sticks. The tail, that gripped onto the long tree trunk, moved and slammed into another tree.

"Oh, shit!" Hunter yelled.

It was as if the long piece of lumber had become wedged within the crowd of trees standing on the outside. As Hunter hoped to remove it, it only caused more destruction. The other two trees slowly became uprooted and cracked just above the trunk. One tree fell and crumbled backward, causing a school of birds to flee to safety. However, the second tree teetered in a different motion: Right towards him.

He could feel the goosebumps pick up on every inch of his skin and he covered his head as he attempted to tuck them between his legs but only ended up slamming it on the shafts. Emberly gasped, figuring she was still too close although she had taken a dramatic step back. Slowly, the massive plant craned down and violently brushed down the right side of the harvester, causing the windows to violently shatter. As the tree landed, Emberly slid to a stop and turned around.

"Hunter!" she screamed.

She ran back, but her path was cut off by the massive tree trunk. With its sharp-ended broken branches, it was dangerous for Emberly to even attempt to get over. Looking up as the cloud of dirt cleared out, Hunter's head wasn't visible from where she stood down below. She shouted his name once again, only able to hear some kind of beeping going off inside the truck. Finally, she was proud to see his massive pig head lift itself. He was a bit dazed and groaned as he rolled his aching neck. He turned around, seeing a sudden glorious smile appear on Emberly's face. She was glad to see he was okay, and in return, he gave her a feeble one back. Blood ran down on the side of his face and there was a small scrape on his forehead, most likely from hitting his head on something inside of the truck. As he carefully shuffled around, shards of glass dropped out of his hair and into his lap. He kicked the door open and exited the truck, holding his head as he nearly slumped out of the truck and down the stairs. He couldn't imagine that the crashes and snapping of branches were loud enough to clog his eardrums, but they did. He swallowed relentlessly since it would usually act as some sort of rebuffer and pop his ears.

As he regained his stance, he noticed a reanimated lurching towards him from his right. He yelled and stumbled backward, falling to the ground.

"Hey!" A soft voice repeatedly called from the back of the demonic wanderer.

Hunter looked up and noticed Emberly had bravely made her way around the collapsed tree. She slowly walked backwards as the reanimated went after her. Still equipped with the branch, she swung at it overhead but poorly executed it, realizing afterward that the undead man had a blue hard hat and was in attire similar to the worker with the shattered shanks. Having far more aptitude for Hunter's and her own wellbeing, she swung it again and struck its leg from the side as if she was aiming for a home run. She had hit a sweet spot on both the bough and leg, causing both to snap.

She dropped the remains and quickly ran beside Hunter, who had nowhere else to turn because they were now suddenly surrounded by other reanimated dressed in construction get-up. They magically tripled seeing that they went from three beings to nine, all growing and walking towards them from all different directions.

Suddenly gunshots went off in multiple directions, taking out the reanimated one by one. By the time the last reanimated fell, Hunter and Emberly were already crouched in the soil, partially hidden underneath the massive forest vehicle. After the gunfire stopped, they looked around, noticing all of their collapsed enemies. Hunter was the first to expose himself by standing, but Emberly held his arm before he could walk out too far into the open,

"Wait…!"

A look was enough to convince the young girl that everything should be okay. If whoever was out there wanted them dead, he was more than positive that they would've been the first ones taken out. He only knew of one person with an aim like that. Scanning around the forest, Hunter nearly shit himself after taking a double at a spot he initially missed. Initially smiling, Hunter made out the figure hid behind a tree. It was a very tall man wearing a light blue button-down shirt tucked into denim jeans. He waved at the children. Angered by the fact that it wasn't his father, Hunter looked over at Emberly.

"Hello," the stranger started off, "There's no need to be worried…" Emberly and Hunter didn't move. Instead, they watched his every move. Once he realized that so much as a twitch startled them, he remained rooted. With hopes of gaining their trust, he resumed, "My name is Julien. I just want to help...I saw what happened to you two in that fire."

Emberly nervously looked over at Hunter while her companion focused forward.

"Did you see what happened to them?" Hunter responded.

Julien smirked, proud to see that his engagement with them was having an effect. Suddenly, he began shaking his head, remembering to answer the question,

"I couldn't. The fire was too big and there was too many Ill for me to get close," he watched as they were at loss for words, "But I saw everything. Those mean men, the fire, the boat. You both must be cold and hungry."

Both children didn't move. Instead, they remained clung to one another, frozen with doubt. Coincidentally, Emberly's stomach began growling but not loud enough for the strange man to hear. Just then, the man shrugged and took a step in the opposite direction,

"I just want to help. But I understand if you won't want to trust a stranger. I can't force you guys to come with me. But you're allowed to follow me if you want a way out of these woods," Julien said as he began brushing past shrubbery.

Hunter and Emberly carefully stepped over the bodies of the fallen reanimated and followed Julien, but remained a safe distance,

"I'm so hungry, Hunter…" Emberly whispered, "What do we do?"

Hunter took a minute to answer, seeing that they really didn't have anything or anyone else to turn to,

"I-I don't know. We can follow him out and then go back to the lakehouse."

"But we'll die," Emberly whispered sharply, "We don't stand a chance out there."

"Don't say things like that! You just hit that thing with the stick," he searched her hands, "Where is it?"

"It broke," she answered, "Just think about it. If we're left alone out there, we have _nothing_ to protect ourselves with."

They both stopped walking and looked at one another. Hunter, every now and then, glanced over at the strange traveler just to know which direction he went in case they got cut off,

"So, you think we should go with him?"

Emberly collected most of her damp, yet thick, hair over one shoulder,

"I guess. He seems nice..."

Hunter crossed his arms and thought long and hard. Looking over, he realized that Julien was already out of sight. They resumed walking, following the path where they last saw the odd individual,

"I guess you're right. He helped us even though he didn't have to…" Hunter's stomach growled, "And I'm a little hungry too," Hunter said. A few moments afterward, he noticed the outskirts of the forest: The part that led out of it. Frankly, it wasn't too far off from where they were previously. Little Hunter believed that if they were given just at least a day, they probably would've stumbled out. He turned to Emberly one last time, "Besides, we have each other."

Both pairs of legs stepped out of cushioned soil and onto hard pavement. Looking down the road, they saw a limousine and the same man standing on the driver's side. He hadn't entered his vehicle yet. Instead, he was looking out for them, thinking they had lost track of him. Once he noticed that they managed to emerge from a different part of the forest, all on their own,, he welcomed them,

"There you both are," he seemed impressed, "Thought you too were Ill for a second,"

Emberly and Hunter both walked towards him, shunning any of the hesitance they had before,

"Did you both make up your mind?"

Hunter nodded,

"If we come with you. Will we be able to leave whenever we want?'

Julien took some time to answer,

"If you come with me, I'll try to provide shelter and food. But, I-I don't know. I can't just let two kids wander out here by themselves."

"We have families"

Julien could pick up on the slight precaution considering that Hunter stood four feet away. Emberly? Five. But it was fine, he understood that a child's trust was something that had to be earned. It was a basic principle that applied to everyone, but ever more so with children. He guided both of them to the back seat of his limo and reached inside, pulling out a blue and grey backpack filled with snacks such as cereal, pudding, and strawberry jam sandwiches. Julien stood behind the children as they picked what they desired. Hunter grabbed a jelly sandwich while Emberly grabbed some chocolate pudding. She turned back to look at him,

"Do you have any spoons?"

Julien pointed her to one of the pockets on the side. She reached for it and pulled out a black plastic spork and removed the protective plastic around it. Displaying a true feature of her character, she asked Julien if he had any trash to dispose of it. But it didn't matter to him where she got rid of it. So, she tossed it on the street, having the light winds carry it away.

The stranger watched as they ate and got himself prepared by walking to the driver's seat. Just as he was turning to tell the children to climb into the backseat and buckle themselves in, he noticed a small vehicle racing down the street. The noises of the motor grabbed all of their attention. The first person to recognize it was Hunter,

"Hey, I know that car…" he said, shoving all of the food to one side of his mouth.

Julien quickly walked to where the children were and rested his palm on each of their shoulders, attempting to shove them inside the back of his limousine,

"No, wait! It's okay! I—" Hunter resisted, pulling Emberly back in the process.

His attempt to be tender with the children ultimately failed him and the other car was slowing down and pulling up behind his. Hunter smiled, recognizing it as his mother's car. He attempted to take a step forward, but was stopped by Julien,

"Stay right there," he demanded.

"No," Hunter smiled happily, "It's okay, I know that car—"

"Just be quiet and don't say anything…"

Hunter's smile slowly began to vanish,

"But...it's my m—"

"I said shut up, goddammit!"

The savior Julien presented himself was completely erased. He was something completely different than what he presented himself to be. Emberly stood from behind with a complete loss of appetite. She rested her half-eaten pudding on the backseat of his car, watching as Julien removed his pistol from his holster. He looked over his shoulder and told each of them not to move a muscle unless they wanted to see someone hurt.

Climbing out of the small grey car was, indeed, Penelope and Arne. Both of them were covered in soot from head to toe. Penelope's hair was free from its twenty-four-seven ponytail and her bottom lip was bleeding. Arne had a black eye and a serious scrape across the bridge of his nose, including a bloodied lip. Smiling, Penelope was initially the one to take more steps but Julien stopped her with one word:

"Don't."

Arne looked over at Penelope, still standing by the opened door on the driver's side. Unarmed, he was unsure with how to deal with the situation after the morbid events at the lakehouse.

"Mom!" Hunter whined, more so proud that she survived.

"It's okay, guys. It's gonna be fine," she said specifically reassured the children. She looked over at Julien, who looked on entertained and unrelenting. She clamped her palms together, having her hands visibly shake like an elder. The Lerouxs had clearly taken their toll on her and she was shaken up from everything that occurred, "Please. Please, let them go, they're with us. We'll take them"

Julien stood in silence, having his finger on the trigger. He watched each of them—unarmed and in no position to make demands,

"You got anything to trade?"

"No…" Penelope whimpered.

"Please, we...we don't want any trouble," Arne interjected, receiving a cut-eye from the man before them, "We've just been through hell…" his voice also began to tremble, "We just want the kids."

"If you have nothing to trade, I can't just give you the kids…"

"You can take the car!" Penelope spat, having learned her lesson with bargains, "Take the damn car! Please, I just want my son."

The armed man stood there, completely unmoved by any of display of emotion,

"Look," Arne resumed, "Y-you don't look like a bad man. I know you're not. See, I've been to war and I can tell you aren't a bad man...you just aren't!" He jittered more nervously than his ex-wife, "So if you have any compassion left in you I _beg_ that you hand them back to us. Please!" he spat through gritted teeth.

At this point, Arne was saying just about anything to save the kid's asses and Julien could pick up on that. He looked over his shoulder and looked down at Hunter, who was clearly the offspring of the two parents. He was a rare child that possessed everything about both parent's genetic makeup. He looked over at Emberly, understanding that these events were the reason behind their relationship with her. Yet, there was something unremarkable about her. He could see a leader in Hunter, but all he saw in Emberly was something else—A perfect specimen. He looked back up and cut Arne off from senselessly rambling any longer.

"Alright. But there's a catch," Julien said, watching both of their emotions come crashing back down after the first couple of seconds, "You can only have one of them and I'll keep the other."

Both of the children's eyes jumped wider than they initially were. Emberly instantly ran to Hunter and grabbed his arm while he retaliated by latching back onto her.

"Please...Please, don't make me do this!" Penelope began sobbing, coving her mouth.

Arne stepped out from behind the opened door, only to have the gun pointed his way. He put his hands up to show that he wasn't intending to be a threat in any way. Without warning, Julien ripped the children apart and shoved Hunter into the center of them all. The tears that were already embarked on her eyes began running nonstop as Emberly began shrieking and screaming, reaching out for Hunter's hand. The back of her shirt was grabbed and she was roughly pulled, having the back of her neck caught by Julien's massive hand. He squeezed it enough to keep her restrained, but soft enough to keep her unbruised. The wicked stranger pointed his gun at Hunter, causing an instinctive reaction to emerge from both parents as they ran to him and pulled him into them for protection.

"No!" Hunter coughed between his cries, "Ember—No! Let her go!"

Arne and Penelope watched the monstrous man, as he got an odd hard-on for their powerlessness. After a couple of moments of silence, Arne attempted once again,

"Please…" he begged as his chest rose and fell nervously, "Please…"

"No," Julien said in the midst of his pleads.

"PLEASE!" he hollered, "SHE NEEDS US!"

Julien stared at them indifferently. Penelope and Arne held Hunter close to them, who was already exhausted from trying to slip out of his families undying hold,

"We're sorry," Penelope apologized. She began to get choked up once again, "We're so, so, so, sorry, Emberly."

At this point, the only thing that could be heard was Emberly's weeps. A couple of seconds into her weeps, she attempted to get some words out, slurring majority of them.

"M-my family...my...family…what happened to them?"

Unable to look up for too long, Arne remained silent while Penelope shook her head. She hadn't seen them ever since the fire. All that was leftover was the unflattering scent and scene of multiple charred corpses—all of them unidentifiable. Emberly couldn't describe it, but in her mind, she felt that nothing could be more painful than hearing that she had lost her entire family. Her father, her aunts, and her cousins. Now she was being torn apart from her best friend. She buried her hands into her palms as she was directed into the back of Julien's limo. The willingness in her was a result of knowing that there was no hope for her and her preparation to die. Her family couldn't save her and Hunter was already with his family—he meant more to them than she ever could. She weakly slouched into the backseat and grieved to the point where it was too painful to even move. Even her eyes ached.

The door closed on her and Julien went into the driver seat in a manner that no one would think twice about sneaking up on him. He made it clear that if anyone tried to follow him, he'd kill each and every one of them himself. He locked all doors from the inside and drove off, seeing Hunter chase after his car in the rearview mirror. The dedicated child ran with all his might, even frightening Julien, at one point, with the thought that he would never stop. Until he grew tired from exhaustion and stopped running, he was out of sight within seconds.

* * *

Emberly woke up, seeing there had been a significant change in the day. It shouldn't have come as surprise to anyone, but clearly, the maniac lied about the driving distance to wherever he was taking her. Yet, she woke up in just the nick of time, seeing the limousine enter the most beautiful property she had ever laid eyes on in all of her eleven years of living—prettier than the ones back in the Montreal suburb. There were reanimated present, but they were too far out to be an issue.

What part of town she was in? She didn't know. She was already so unfamiliar with Canada and although she probably wouldn't remember her way back, she regretted falling asleep or else she'd have some sort of sense on how to return the way she came, but that was only if she would ever get that chance or if there was anything even waiting for her.

The car pulled up to a steel black gate. Emberly watch as Julien reached out of his window and pressed a button. After a couple of seconds, a loud buzzer went off and the gates automatically opened up for him, clearly being controlled by someone elsewhere.

Surprisingly, Julien wasn't lying about living in an estate. Emberly studied the surroundings of the estate that came into view. An operating fountain was showcased in the center of the front yard as the roads that curved and winded around it. It was like a mansion and one of the biggest houses Emberly had ever seen. If cut down the middle, it was almost symmetrical: Possessing tons of windows and columns that prevented Emberly from laying her eyes on just one. The limo proceeded to travel and ended up going off the path towards the back of the estate, riding past multiple trees and light posts.

"You're awake," Julien startled her.

Emberly looked forward, unable to look into the eyes of her kidnapper in the rearview mirror. Once he parked in a massive dead-end, he ordered her to stay put before exiting the car. Once he was out of sight, Emberly looked around, frightened by the eerie surroundings. Meanwhile, a manor was something that reminded people of luxury, gigantic households also globally became known as catalysts for paranormal activity. With her time left alone, she reached for the handle and tried to open the door, but couldn't get it open, even after unlocking it herself. Eventually, she stopped at the sight of Julien.

This time, he returned with someone else: Another woman. They were speaking to one another but not much could be made out. Things like, "get her sorted" and "clean her up" were the main things Emberly heard. As Julien walked off, the young lady approached the car door and opened it. Emberly flew deeper into the back of the limo so that she wouldn't be caught unless the stranger decided to come in after her. Then maybe, if that did happen, she'd have a chance to escape. It was hard to make out the person's face in the shadows, but the voice nor demeanor wasn't what she expected,

"H-hi…" the young lady said after a moment's pause, "You must be Emberly. I'm Olimpia…" the lady greeted. Emberly sat still, keeping her hands in her lap. Olimpia said whatever she could to get Emberly out of the limo, but Emberly just didn't seem to budge. She had learned her lesson the first time with Julien and she didn't want to fall for a sweet-sounding voice once again, especially if it had anything to do with Julien. Without a word, Olimpia slightly closed the door and disappeared back around a corner Emberly could barely see past. The indoor light cast from around the corner revealed a rectangular shape on the ground: A door.

Emberly looked back, seeing that the car door was left ajar. Maybe this was her chance. The young girl slowly began approaching it, wanting more than ever to escape and get as far away as she could, even if it meant hiding somewhere on the property. Nonetheless, Emberly went scrambling back into the corner when she saw five women in total exiting the house and approaching the car. They all dressed the same, varying in height, pitch, and appearance. Although she couldn't see their heads from where she sat, one of them bent down and pressed her face against the windows, unable to see through the tinted windows during this time of day,

"What do you mean I won't believe it?" A much older sounding woman questioned.

"I tried everything!" Olimpia said, clearly sounding distressed, "She won't even blink! If I don't get her out now, he's gonna use it as a reason to be alone with me!"

"Look, sweetie, just relax. He doesn't have to know a thing," another older woman said, "We'll keep this between us. None us will say a thing...right, Quinn?"

"Yes, ma'am…"

The door was opened yet again and two older women revealed their faces. One of their mouths dropped, gasping,

"Oh my god, it's a child!"

"What?!" Another girl yelped.

"Mm-hm!" The second older woman confirmed. Judging by her stance, she was clearly agitated, "Just when I thought that bastard couldn't get any more evil."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Olimpia responded quite loudly.

"Sweetie," the oldest woman said, "Sweetie, please come out."

"No!" Emberly shouted in frustration, "Don't even think about touching me!"

"Darling, do you remember Julien?" the same woman spoke, "If you don't come out, we'll all be in lots of trouble. Do you want that?"

"Billie…" the woman behind her grumbled in disbelief, "Really, girl?"

"What?"

"Don't tell her that!" Olimpia whined, "We're trying to get her out, not scare her even more. Why not mention the asshole who kidnapped her?"

All of the women jumped on her simultaneously, placing their numerous hands all over her mouth with their own, shushing her all at once.

"He'll hear you!" One of them whispered.

"Don't speak bad about him," the one referred to as Quinn, said.

As Emberly listened, she was surprised to see and hear the way they spoke about her captor. They all seemed to either dislike him or be afraid of him. Which, in any case, couldn't seem like much of a good thing, because fear could lead them to do atrocious things for him. Who knows why any of these women really wanted to lure her out? Eventually, one of them squeezed through the others and got on her knees to look into the car while the rest of them chit-chatted softly behind her. Her face was barely visible, but she too sounded like a young woman with an alluring and majestic voice,

"Hi," she waved, "My name's Nora. What's yours?"

"Emberly," Olimpia smiled from behind.

"Emberly, huh? That's a really pretty name, first time I've heard of it..." she watched as Emberly grew teary-eyed, "Honey. I know you're really afraid right now, but if you haven't guessed by now...we understand what you're going through. Every single one of us," at this point, all the background babbling had stopped and they were all rounded up behind Nora in hopes of getting Emberly out of the car, "We're just like you and you're one of us now. We'll make sure that Julien will never hurt you again. So please, even if you have the _smallest_ ounce of trust in your heart, just use that to take my hand and we'll take you inside, get you warmed up, give you some fresh new clothes, and feed you if you're up for it," her prolonged smiled eventually stiffened, "He's gone for now, but Julien wouldn't like to meet you in his car still once he gets back from taking a shower."

Something about all of these women wasting their precious time to get her out of the car said something to Emberly. So she decided to take the risk and followed them outside. Nora was the first to greet her and protectively wrapped her arms around her shoulder. It was they didn't want to believe their eyes until they were finally able to touch and see her.

"Sweetie, how old are you?" One of the women asked. She had dark brown skin and bright eyes.

"It's okay," Nora reassured, "We're all friends here. We won't keep any secrets from you as long as you don't keep any secrets from us," she searched for the right words in hopes of not coming off too overbearing, 'We're a sisterhood now and you can trust us."

"...Eleven," Emberly gulped, unable to lift her eyes from the ground.

"It's just that...we never thought he'd take in a girl so young..."

"Didn't stop him from taking Nora or McKayla!" Olimpia said loudly, yet again.

Something about those words implied something unthinkable, and much to Emberly's surprise, all of the women that surrounded her were either victims of being kidnapped or being kept hostage.

She was guided to an entrance that led them through to the side of the house and offered a place to sit in a massive room that seemed to be closed off from the rest of the house. On the floor were six heaps of blankets scattered all over the place—one of them already occupied by another person who seemed to be asleep. Olimpia was the last to enter the room and close the door behind her, revealing herself to probably be the prettiest face out of all of them.

"Pst! McKayla!" the oldest woman called, "Wake up!"

"I'm awake," she grumbled, sitting up. McKayla was a young pale girl with long auburn red locks and deep dark eyes, "Is that her?" she questioned, judging Emberly's look, "Jesus, she looks like she's been through hell."

Emberly looked away embarrassed,

"Don't listen to her, sweetie..." one of them tried to comfort.

"No, I—" McKayla tried to catch herself, "I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry…" she apologized, "What's your name?"

Before Emberly could speak for herself, one of them answered for her—the one named Billie: The oldest one of them all. She was in her mid-sixties and claimed to be working for Mr. Chenot for years, "way before the world went to shit". However, she always knew him as a scandalous gentleman who got away with anything as long as he paid the right person. But never in a million years did she imagine that he'd stoop this low or that she'd become one of his zoo animals. The other women, however, never believed her when she said that. According to the stories she told, Julien was a zoo animal himself. It was only a matter of time before he tried something like this.

The only other black woman in the room was Leticia. She worked for Julien but was relatively new to the job. She was originally from a small town in South Carolina and moved to Canada when she was thirty-six. She was now in her mid-fifties and still glowing as ever. Her voice was calming yet had a striking authoritativeness to it. She also had the most hearty laugh out of all of them and the most base. Just hearing it made Emberly's heart smile, but only for a tad.

Then there was Nora and her older sister Quinn. Nora was a pretty young woman with typical northern European features. She was in her mid-twenties and the shortest one out of all of them. She was kidnapped, along with her sister, by Julien when all of this started. The only thing is that she was taken under different circumstances. She and Quinn were promised a place to take refuge for a while until the military would be arriving to rescue them—at least that's what Julien originally thought happened to the rich. When the military never showed up, Nora and Quinn made up their minds to leave but he refused to let them go. Unlike Nora, Quinn wasn't much of the talkative type and said the least since Emberly's arrival. Every time she spoke, it was something regarding the whereabouts of Julien. She was in her late twenties.

Olimpia was a twenty-nine-year-old stunner with dark features: Dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and olive skin. She had somewhat of a long nose and had a beauty mark above the left side of her lips, which were bright red. She had a prime physique—a result of living such an active lifestyle. She was into parkour, kickboxing, and track. When the end of the world arrived, she watched her entire family die before being taken against her will by Julien. She was dying of thirst and hunger, and Julien brought her home under the false belief that he "rescued" her. If there was anyone she owed her life to, it was the very women she was surrounded by. So far, she was the only woman who he kept his eye on most of all.

Lastly was McKayla, who was kidnapped just last week. Not much was known about her except that she was the youngest out of all the women. Just like Emberly, Julien "saved" her when she was attacked by random Ill. So far, she's been the only one who's attempted (and failed) to escape. Because of this, everyone else usually tries to keep their distance from her.

Then again, everyone's ultimate goal is to be reunited with family. Although Olimpia has nothing left, she surely looks forward to escaping either way.

"What about you, sweetheart?" Billie inquired, "Did you have a family before this?"

Emberly nodded, remarkably keeping herself from breaking down. To her, she had cried herself dry in the limousine.

"I was with my aunt and cousins before coming here," she started off. She eventually explained everything from New York to the Lerouxs. Each and every one of them was intrigued by her horror story.

"Oh, no," Olimpia was afraid to ask, "What happened to them?"

"They're all dead."


	12. Episode 12 - Sweet-ish

Emberly could feel herself being shaken while she slumbered. Opening her eyes, she saw an unclear figure about a foot away from her. She heard her name being called over. Reaching for the glasses underneath her pillow, the sleepiness that clouded her vision, along with her astigmatism, eventually cleared. It was Leticia, leaving her hand rested on Emberly's shoulder. Hoping that the last few days had only been a nightmare the moment she woke up, Emberly was far more heartbroken to see that her family was still nowhere in sight. She was constantly apologized to for being unable to sleep any longer, but it was the time Julien expected everyone else to be awake—when he was. It was true that Emberly was a newcomer, but the women couldn't risk the chance of letting her sit back for the day.

Emberly woke up and looked at every single one of the women getting themselves ready. Just like the night before, they each wore maid outfits. Black skirts, white aprons, nude colored stockings along with black t-bar shoes. They all had their hair tied up buns. She looked around the room and noticed that everyone else's sheets and comforters were folded and pushed aside against the nearest wall. She had decided to sleep underneath one of the tables, feeling it provided the most shelter,

"Ugh, I can't find my hair tie!" Olimpia complained.

Her long dark hair was loose and fell all over her shoulders. She looked so pretty that way, but it was against the dress code that was obviously put into place. McKayla came to the rescue and walked up to her, offering her one of her own. Olimpia than pulled it off McKayla's wrist, thanking her and realizing that it wasn't as big of a deal as she made it seem.

Emberly rolled out from underneath the table and took a strange whiff of something. Realizing it was with every movement she made, she sniffed herself and put on an irritated face,

"What is it, sweetie?" Leticia picked up on it.

"I smell like mildew," Emberly replied, repeatedly sniffing her sleeves.

"Well, your clothes were damp. That usually happens when wet clothes are air-dried sometimes."

"Here," Billie walked out from a separate area in the room, this time with glasses sitting on her nose. She had folded clothes in her hands and a pair of small black shoes on top of it, "I custom made it specifically for you. It might not be your exact size, but I did what I could with your measurements yesterday."

Emberly entered that very same room to change and walked out dressed just like the women before her. However, it was an odd feeling. Wearing warm new clothes didn't give her a sense of rejuvenation. Instead, it made her feel like she were an object; part of a matched set. There wasn't much that they could do with her hair as promised, but Leticia tied Emberly's hair up in a bun that would have to do for the time being. She walked out with black stockings and some shoes. All of the women in the room watched her with a smile,

"I-I didn't think the shoes or stockings would fit. They belong to my granddaughter," Billie began to get teary-eyed, "Sometimes she'd sleep over on the weekends whenever my son-in-law couldn't watch her."

Emberly mostly gazed on as Leticia and Nora were the ones to console her. She was unsure whether or not to thank her. She was appreciative of the thought behind it but immensely opposed to the uniform and what it represented in the house. They were essentially enslaved. Suddenly, the door nearest Emberly was unlocked and opened. Emberly slowly backed away until she could be pulled back by one of the other girls. She stood between Nora and McKayla while the others either stood behind or beside,

"Morning, ladies," Julien said, inviting himself in.

"Morning, Mr. Chenot," they all answered, entirely scattered and out of sync.

Emberly looked down and hid even more behind Nora. Seeing Julien once again was like seeing the boogeyman in the flesh. He walked around the room and opened up the curtains that were mainly on one side of the room. It was about six windows in total—that's how massive the room was. However, it seemed to be the only place he'd let them sleep and congregate. No doubt Julien had a room for every single one of them to sleep in, but he felt that it was much better to keep them rounded together like a pack of sheep. The women didn't do as much as follow him with their eyes, they were far more obedient than the soldiers Emberly remembered back in New York. Once Julien returned to his previous spot, he fixed his eyes on Emberly,

"I see you guys got her settled in nicely," he looked over at Olimpia and winked at her, "Good job. If you change your mind, I can still give you that gift."

Olimpia attempted to speak, but stuttered before finding her words,

"I-I...N-no thank you, Julien."

By the end of her sentence, she was looking down, completely mortified by what he would do just because she denied him. The perverted smile on Julien's smug face was slapped off with those measly words. Leticia, who stood next to her, fearfully squeezed her hand in secrecy.

"Well, you guys know I rarely bring myself in here. I just wanted to see how our new friend is doing…" Julien held a cocky composure, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Looking directly at Emberly, he slightly bent forward in hopes of her catching the sight she desperately wanted to avoid, "...Emberly?" he teased, "Are you fitting in okay?"

All of the women began to grow concerned once she didn't answer.

"It's alright, sweetie," Billie reassured, resting her palms on her shoulders, "You can talk."

"Yes," Emberly answered softly.

"Good," he responded with a chipper attitude. He looked at all the other women, Billie and Leticia, "Now just show her the ropes of a regular Thursday morning and she'll be a veteran in no time. They usually say that they learn quicker when they're young..."

The only time they seemed to answer him in unison was when it was his departure. He turned his back to them and walked to the door, but before he could leave, Quinn called his name. She practically pranced towards him, in the same manner, a giddy child who had a crush on their fifth-grade math teacher would, and offered him a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting and a "J" made out of gummy candy,

"I saved you an extra cupcake from last night," she offered.

"Oh, wow," Julien looked down at her as she charismatically grinned, "You know I can't eat too many sweets."

"I know but after you said you enjoyed it last night, I thought I would just give you mine instead," she giggled.

Julien smiled at her flirtatiously and strolled away. Emberly observed the whole thing and looked up at Nora, who was clearly in a state of loathing seeing her willingly step so close to a monstrosity. The hold she initially had on Emberly felt weak and lifeless. As far as the young newcomer could tell, Quinn had gotten special treatment for some odd reason. Whether or not she wanted to know the reason why? She was unsure.

A few minutes after the exchange, the women split up into groups to start the rest of their day. McKayla was still shadowing Nora since she was relatively new. Nora was more responsible for cleaning up after Julien. It was so pointless for one man to have a house so big to himself. There were so many rooms that would gather dust just for being vacant, even before the apocalypse hit. It would probably take Nora three to four days to get to every room. That's why she was thankful McKayla came along because her assistance could cut down the cleaning time. In reality, the manor didn't need this much help, so Olimpia and Quinn would do whatever they could to keep themselves occupied and to keep themselves from getting in trouble for loafing. They'd take out the trash and probably vacuum the house.

When Emberly asked what to do, she was shown some mercy—obviously because of her age.

Aside from cleaning, Leticia and Billie were the ones responsible for cooking most of the meals. According to them, flapjacks, eggs, and ham were on their menu this morning. Lunch would be burger and fries, and dinner would be venison and rice with beans—deer that Julien recently shot.

The kitchen was pretty much a commercial one. It was the type of large kitchens you saw in restaurants and considering the size of the house, it made sense to have one,

"I've never eaten deer before,' Emberly said.

"It's actually quite good." Leticia smirked, "I was afraid of trying it my first time. I was like 'deer? I don't know about this one'."

"Next thing you know, she was asking for seconds," Billie laughed, arriving at the steel counter with two large frying pans.

"...Will there be dessert?" Emberly asked curiously, drawing imaginary lines with her fingers.

"Only when Quinn feels like making them," Leticia said before walking off to the refrigerator nearly across the room. A minute or two, she returned with a carton of eggs and a bulk of ham, "she's strange sometimes, that girl."

"What makes you say that?" Emberly inquired.

"It wasn't long before she started...acting all funny around him," Billie said, "At first she was just like her sister. She wanted to go home and everything. She couldn't stand him, even called him a son of a bitch to his face. Then, before you know it, she started acting all different…"

"Stockholm syndrome is what it is," Leticia threw in.

"Stockholm?" Emberly repeated, looking between the two older folks, "What's that?"

"Stockholm is when people become sympathetic with their abusers. A little too sympathetic. They feel sorry for them, they want to be around them all the time. Eventually, they stop looking for a way out and just...submit." Billie informed while cracking eggs.

"It dates all the way back to Stockholm, Sweden—that's how it got its name. There was a situation that happened where a bunch of criminals tried to rob a bank and they held everyone inside hostage. They strapped bombs to them and what not but, see, the hostages inside spent so much time with the robbers that they began to form some sort of strange bond with them and began to feel a sense of sympathy for them. When the cops finally captured arrived, some of the hostages didn't even want to give up information about them. And...eh, well, whatever happened after that is even more startling: Some people even kept in touch with the robbers after they were imprisoned." Leticia elaborated. "A lot of people experience it actually. Had a sister who was with an abusive husband—stopped talking to the family and everything all for the sake of him. It's a coping mechanism and a way to survive almost."

Emberly listened to every word, hoping it was something that she wouldn't have to experience. She already saw herself becoming quite comfortable with the other women. She became easily attached to people but if it would prove itself to be a liability, she'd have to change that about herself very soon,

"What makes them that way?" she asked as the women proceeded to cook.

"Not entirely sure. I wanted to study psychology in college but never got the chance."

"I just hope that poor girl doesn't end up getting herself murdered," Billie bluntly put, "He's a monster, you know."

"Is this what you guys do on your free time?" A familiar voice echoed across the room. They all looked over, seeing Nora by the kitchen's doorway. She was clearly vexed, "You guys just talk shit about my sister?"

Billie stopped whisking her eggs. She was practically speechless,

"Nora…"

Nora stormed towards the table and looked at the adults rather than Emberly, expecting them to know better,

"You both have _no_ clue what my sister has been through."

"Nora, please, calm down, we weren't bad mouthing her…" Leticia said, looking perplexed.

"Well, that's what it sounded like from there!" She frowned at Billie, "'I hope she doesn't end up getting murdered!'" she mocked.

"I didn't mean it that way."

"Then how'd you mean it?!"

"We're just worried is all…"

"Well, you all worry about yourselves and I'll worry about my sister!" she began to become tense and her face flushed beet red, "You think I'm not worried about her too? Well, I am!" as everyone watched her in silence, she continued, "I get it. I get that what she's doing is endangering but I don't need people gossiping about her like she—or me—isn't around!" She looked at Emberly, who looked so frightened to see her out of the character she first introduced herself as. She took a couple of breaths, "My sister isn't going to die or get murdered as long as I'm around to help her, okay?"

Leticia stepped out of her stool, understanding how Billie's words might have affected how she felt.

"Look, honey, we get it. Okay?" she attempted to pull her in for a hug, but Nora tore herself away, "We didn't mean any harm by it. Honestly. We just got a little carried away with ourselves."

Nora blinked repeatedly as the tears in her eyes dried. The most she could demand was that they be more mindful with their words and to keep Quinn's name out of their mouths. Although she couldn't blame Emberly, she at least wanted the message to get through to her as well for future reference. Nora may have seemed like a tiny, modest girl, but she was the biggest spitfire of them all—something Emberly could only hail from aside. Once Nora left the room, the two elders were left in a state of awkwardness and not a word had been spoken since. It seemed like if it wasn't gossip, it wasn't worth talking over. Emberly grew extremely bored at the table and she would constantly look around feeling like she had eyes on her. As if things couldn't get any creepier, she was completely onto something. Billie pointed out that Julien had cameras in almost every inch of his house except for the bathrooms. The very room they were in had four of them in every corner.

"Baby, do you remember where I showed you the pantry was?" Leticia asked Emberly while she mixed her own bowl.

Emberly recalled when she was given a quick tour of the commercial kitchen and the house kitchen. After nodding, it was requested if she could quickly grab four important ingredients so they could get started on some flapjacks: All-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and white sugar. Emberly was quite fearful of having to go about this alone, but the kitchen was literally in the next room over, and if she worked quickly enough she'd be back within the next four minutes. There were things she didn't want to come across as. Admittedly, for her age, Emberly tended to act a bit immature and way too skittish. She thought back to the conversations she used to overhear Pandora having with Arne and one of them was "if you let people think you're weak, you might as well be". She hopped out of the bar stool and exited the room. She walked through a passage that not only led to the official house kitchen but to plenty of other rooms. On her first turn after her exit, she entered the kitchen and opened a doorway further to the back: The pantry. She played with the light switch she spent minutes searching for, however, the light didn't come on. Unlike most of the other rooms in the house, the pantry was engulfed in complete darkness.

"Shit…" she groaned to herself.

She took a couple of steps back, taking notice of a flashlight on the kitchen counter that traveled along the walls. It was a massive LED flashlight and once she toggled it on, it nearly lit up the entire room. It was nowhere close to an actual ceiling light, but it made navigating far easier. She walked down the wooden steps and sauntered towards the wall that mainly had powdered ingredients. Taking from one of the baskets stacked in the corner of the room, Emberly managed to locate all of the necessary ingredients needed. Tip-toeing to reach the salt, her fingers slipped and the container fell off the shelf.

"Crap!"

She reached for both the basket and the flashlight, having rested it on its hindquarters so it could be aimed towards the ceiling and light most of the room. She shined the light in the direction in which she believed it fell, but instead of finding the fallen item, she saw two glowing eyes. She instantly dropped the basket and began shrieking. Making a run for the first thing she believed could save her life, she leaped atop what seemed like an old washing machine. She hollered for help repeatedly, ignoring the slight soreness she might've inflicted on her throat. The washing machine was being shaken around by the creature as it jumped and barked in order to pursue the stranger in its home.

* * *

Nora ran down the corridor with McKayla following. They met with Leticia and Billie on the other end of the hallway. It wasn't difficult to link the youthful screams to the only child in the entire household. With Leticia and Billie leading the way, Nora couldn't help but let them know how obtuse it was to let her do some of their responsibilities. A bang-up job was what the old women were doing. All four of them entered the room and magically turned on a lamp in the room. What Emberly could now make out in front of her was a stout German Shepherd. Billie shouted the canine's name numerous times: Cerberus—but to no avail, since it was preoccupied with its recent target. Finally, the dog stopped after a masculine voice entered the room and shouted its name. The dog immediately calmed and sat as if the switch that went off, was turned back on.

Emberly looked up, seeing Julien just before the steps of the pantry. Billie broke away from the crowd of women and grabbed Cerberus by the collar only to be yelled at by Julien,

"Don't touch him!" he screamed like a dictator. Cerberus acted on the mood of Julien's and even showed a set of teeth at Billie. She took a couple of steps back until the canine was ordered to leave the room. He looked over at Emberly as she made her way down from the washing machine, "What's she doing in here?" he questioned the women.

Seeing that Billie was still shaken up, Leticia took over for her,

"She was helping us prepare breakfast," Leticia walked in front of the group, clearly representing them for the time being, "We asked her if she could come in here and grab some ingredients."

"I apologize about Cerberus. He's very protective of the house," he announced generally, but everyone knew it for Emberly's ears, "Is breakfast almost finished?"

"Nearly," Leticia spoke.

Julien left the room without saying anything else. Emberly picked up her basket of ingredients, more than happy to be surrounded by the women who kept their promise by looking out for her. Seeing that they kept their word made her see them in a whole new light than she initially did. Billie was the first to run off after she realized she had left something on the fire, whereas everyone else ran off to resume their duties.

Although breakfast seemed like something to be gracious and proud over, it was actually the worst part of the day according to everyone else. It was implemented only recently, but Julien couldn't tolerate eating breakfast alone like he used to. He would sit at his massive dinner table with no to talk to before he could just read the paper, listen to the radio, but it was so much different now. He tried breakfast in bed but that didn't last long either.

Emberly helped Olimpia set the table. With Julien already seated at the far end, he was the first to receive a clean plate with the necessary utensils. After she rested reserved plates for everyone else, she prepared to push the cart back into the closet. However, she felt a tug on her skirt. As Emberly was setting the remaining set of the utensils, she glanced over at them, sensing her discomfort.

"Aren't you forgetting something…?" Julien smirked.

"Um, I-I'm not sure what you mean," Olimpia gulped.

"You're supposed to set my napkin for me."

Despite having so many, the beautiful girl thought it was an odd request. She had no choice and went about it very carefully because there had to be an ulterior motive of some sort. She grabbed the linen dinner napkin his from underneath his fork and spoon and opened it. She approached him carefully, planning to tuck it in the neckline of his top, but it that wasn't what he wanted—he wanted it placed on his lap. Emberly may have been too young to realize his intentions, but Olimpia surely understood. She looked incredibly embarrassed as she placed the napkin on his lap, pretty much dropping it into it as accurately as she could.

"There," she felt satisfied.

She released a breath as if she was suffocated whenever she got close to him. She wasn't finished handing out linen napkins to the other plates, but her prerogative was getting out of that room as quickly as she could. Preparing to wheel the cart, that held the silverware and dishes, out of the room, Julien spoke to her once again,

"You forgot to smoothen out the wrinkles."

Olimpia saw how he put his hands on the others. Not the women per se, but intruders or infected. It wasn't probably noteworthy for such a coward, but Julien was a jacked fool. He worked out on his spare time but now with nothing to do, he hit the weight room in his basement at least twice a day. Either way, she would hate to be the first to experience a blow from him. She approached him and did exactly as he subtly requested. She smoothened out the napkin as he clearly got aroused by the caressing of his thighs and groin. Through the cracks of his eyes, he saw Emberly staring at them in an absolute disturbance. Quickly, he fixed his relaxed posture and thanked Olimpia for what she did. Immediately, she pushed the cart and summoned the youngster with her as they walked into the kitchen. The first thing she did was run to the sink and turned on the hot faucet. She scrubbed her hands repeatedly as Emberly watched her from afar. She may have been eleven, but she wasn't ignorant of the pig-like things powerful men did to women. Hell, by the time she turned eleven, predators would whistle and blow kisses to her in the street.

"...Are you okay?" Emberly had trouble finding her voice.

Olimpia looked over at her and simpered,

"I will be," she nodded, "It's not the first time he's done this to me."

Emberly stared at her, knowing deep down that it would take more than a few mere minutes to recover from what he forced her to do. Emberly couldn't even get over it herself and watched Olimpia as she fidgeted with her fingers. Tears, once again, built themselves on her lower lashes before they could fall down her cheeks. Olimpia immediately took notice and quietly approached her,

"No, no, no!" she whispered. She lifted Emberly's pink specs and wiped her tears away, "I'm okay. I promise," Olimpia's touch was enough to make Emberly react, sniffing and silently whimpering. She knelt down to her level and rested her hands on her shoulders, "He isn't going to lay a finger on me, or-or you, or anyone else ever again. I promise you'll never have to see that again if it upset you that much. We are going to protect each other. Okay?" Olimpia couldn't do much within their time span, but she had to make sure that Emberly soaked up those tears. She lowered her voice even further considering that the dining room wasn't too far off, "Now, wipe away your tears before he sees you. Try to be strong, Emberly. I don't want to scare you, but you can't show a fissure of weakness...crying upsets him."

Emberly pulled herself together rather quickly than she thought she could and from Olimpia's initial statement, she jumped at the first person she saw walking in from the side. It was Quinn with the others following her. They noticed Emberly's distress and questioned it only for Olimpia to sweep it under the rug. She held Emberly closely and they all followed the pair to the dining room. Billie, being the last, wheeled a small cart of hot breakfast that would soon be served to each and every one of them. They gathered around the table, said a pseudo-prayer, and ate their food.

* * *

It was a little later in the afternoon and all the women had finished their tasks relatively early since they had an extra hand. During times like these, Julien was human enough to let them all have some time to themselves. Although they finished their work early, there was still some 'breaking-in' that had to be done to the newer girls. Olimpia had pretty much finished her, for the lack of a better word, "initiation" and the only two left were McKayla and Emberly.

They were all by the storage closet, putting away all of their cleaning products and tools. McKayla, on the other hand, was just exchanging,

"I hate this shit," McKayla complained under her breath.

"What wrong with you?" Quinn questioned, quite defensive.

"Julien wants me to help him wash his damn dogs."

She had only seen one, but to Emberly's surprise, Julien had three dogs in total. There was Cerberus: a hazel brown and black German Shepherd, Flash: A black and brown Doberman, and Sheva: A white pitbull. They were all trained, spaded, and _very_ well-fed.

"Not so loud…" Nora hushed.

Olimpia kept a look-out and looked at them all.

"He's not even near here so talk all the shit you want."

"Want me to do it?" Quinn offered a hand to hold McKayla's pail.

With not a single opposition, McKayla was prepared to throw a days task on poor Quinn, but Nora intersected both of them, forcing down Quinn's hand. Everyone got to know McKayla for her droll attitude, therefore they never took anything she said or did personal because she was truly a sweet girl at heart,

"No," Nora denied for her, knowing Quinn wanted to be in Julien's presence.

McKayla scoffed,

"You are so lucky your sister is here or else you'd be washing those mutts right now," she stuck her tongue out at Quinn shortly after she did the same.

"I really wish I could read the paper right about now" Billie crossed her arms while resting one of her palms under her chin.

"Read the paper? What could be happening today that it would be in the paper?" McKayla laughed pretentiously at the old broad.

"Crossword puzzles."

That's when Leticia gasped as if she just realized a revelation. She placed her hand on Billie's shoulder. Everyone looked at her,

"I forgot to tell you. I found a stack of game books when I cleaned out Senior Chenot's closet last week. It had word puzzles, mazes, even sudoku!" Leticia's eyes rolled back in pleasure, "I _love_ sudoku."

She apologized for the initial fright and ran away with Billie like giddy teenage girls to locate their books.

"Who gets excited over word puzzles? They're so ancient," McKayla remarked yet again.

Finally locating the tick and flea shampoo along with some mint colored rubber gloves, McKayla turned off the light and closed the door behind her. The momentary happiness that lifted their spirits was doubling down once they realized what awaited at the back door. McKayla made her way throughout the house as Nora, Olimpia, and Quinn followed. Emberly kept her distance, planning to lurk from behind.

This backdoor was different from the one she walked through when Emberly arrived at the estate. This one led directly to the back where there was a massive field that resembled a labyrinth. On the far side of the yard was an entirely separate shed, one that looked bigger than any of the homes back in New York City. From what Emberly overheard, that entire place belonged to the dogs. It was supposed to be a bathhouse for the residents—almost like a social place, but since he never got a family or never really had friends, he gave it to his dogs and renovated it to accommodate them. It only made sense that someone who essentially was waste of a person only knew how to waste themselves. As he explained things to her, McKayla kept her face stern, neither indicating that she understood or took anything he said seriously. Her posture said it all and Julien was just about getting sick of her attitude.

It was getting colder and before Julien could even request, Quinn had already grabbed his sweater for him. Nora, on the other hand, had to be told to get the dog treats,

"Why can you be more like your sister?" Julien instigated.

Quinn exchanged nervous glances with her sister, not intending or expecting that to be his response. After Nora gave lethal glares to her sibling, she walked into the separate room where Emberly was hiding and took a bag of doggy treats off the counter and handed it to Julien. Hopefully satisfied, Julien placed his hand on the knob of the door, which didn't seem like a regular handle to a house—it possessed a keypad. He put in a combination that only he, presumably, had knowledge of. Opening the door ajar with his hand rested on the handle, he whistled loudly,

"FLASH!" he shouted, "Come down, boy!"

He whistled some more and more, but there was no answer from the pet. He muttered in aggravation to himself and told McKayla that he'd be right back. Foolishly, he handed the red-head the dog treats by placing it in her bucket. The last of his voice was heard fading further into the deepness and altitude of his home.

McKayla's eyes remained on the door for seconds until Nora snapped her out of it,

"Don't do something stupid," she could immediately tell.

"I'm sorry…" she started.

"No!" Nora scoffed, "No! Don't do this again, you can't!" Nora begged.

"W-what's happening?" Olimpia inquired, standing further back.

"I can't take it here anymore," McKayla's voice wheezed, "I have to go. I have to leave!"

"You'll die out there!" Nora stated.

"Better that than here."

McKayla fought her hand free from Nora's grip and was nearly jumped on by Cerberus and Sheva once her fingers were as much as within an inch to the handle. Slowly she dug in the basket and threw the treats on the floor for them, eventually throwing them so she'd be out of range. Nora grabbed her wrist one last time,

"McKayla you can't!"

Before all the other women could join in, she dropped the cleaning supplies and got physical with Nora, hurting her fingers and hitting her. She cried to be let go of and once Nora could no longer resist the pain, she released her and fell backward, stumbling into her sister. McKayla closed the door behind her and dashed as fast as she could. She cut through the garden attempting to push through the bushes, but it turned out that they were actually concealing metal railings which helped them stand so erect. She attempted to climb through it, having it tear through her clothes and scrape her skin.

A few minutes later, Flash appeared down the steps and was followed by Julien. He looked around the area and immediately noticed the mess. McKayla had tried this plenty of times and if he would've just followed his gut, he wouldn't have trusted her. Julien opened the door, whistling and yelling demands at his dogs to sick their escapee. Instantly all three dogs beamed out of the back door one after the other. After that, Emberly became eager to see what was happening. Even though she wasn't the one in pursuit, she looked on like a deer caught in the headlights, no longer keeping herself concealed.

At this point, McKayla was breathless and found it almost impossible to find her way out of the garden. There was no way to realize it, but she missed the exit when emerging through the wrong end of the maze of bushes. Once she realized where she was, she cut back through outside the perimeter of the garden and attempted to make it to the exit. The fence that led to the forestry behind the estate was locked with a chain that hadn't been unlocked in ages. Striving to jump over it, she felt a row of sharp fangs plunge into the leg that hadn't made it over. McKayla screeched as Cerberus endlessly chomped and tugged her at calf. Just when she thought the pain couldn't get any worse, she was ultimately pulled back by a second set of teeth. Her shrieks were merged with her sobs as she loudly moaned for them to stop. She squeezed her eyes shut, wincing intensely from the shredding of her lower leg. She tried covering her head for protection but Flash went for her oblique. Unable to cover her face for too long, she had no choice but to hold her side in pain. Right then and there, Flash bit one of her fingers and began bending her fingers in all different directions. Eventually, Blizzard came for her face, taking a massive chomp at her nose.

Back at the estate, all of the women and Emberly remained extremely still, terrified over what occurred before their very eyes. An upset Nora tried to walk away but Julien shouted at her with a hellish voice, demanding that she not move a muscle. Everyone else followed suit. Emberly, at this point, figured there was nothing else she could do to remain strong. She covered her ears, blocking out the horrific and cruel screams coming from the gardens. After about thirty seconds later, McKayla stopped making a sound and the dogs returned, tracking blood into the house and having it coated around their muzzles. The women were staggered and their hearts were beating out of their chests. Nearly arm in arm, the three older women stuck so closely to one another they could've merged into one.

"Now this? This is what happens when you choose to disobey me," Julien started off. He specifically looked at Quinn before looking at the rest, "I put my trust in her and she betrayed me. If it weren't for me, every single one of you heathens would be dead out there. Is that what either of you want?!" Although he didn't believe a single thing, he was relieved to see them all shake their heads. Any sign of rebelliousness was something he had to sever and he was beginning to see changes in everyone's attitude the second McKayla showed up. She didn't fear him and that was something that had to be made an example of. Julien stepped to the side and attempted to make eye contact with Emberly, "I promise you. You'll thank me one day. You all will."

Billie and Leticia were in their own world, instantly being snapped out of it as Olimpia walked in and threw herself on the floor, overwrought with emotion. Thinking she might have collapsed due to something else, Billie helped her up,

"Oh my god, are you okay!?"

Everyone else followed inside and closed the doors behind them. Nora stared at one of the cameras in the corner,

"He's pure evil," her voice trembled.

"What happened?" Leticia closed her puzzle book and stood up, "Is—"

"McKayla's dead," Olimpia sobbed.

The oblivious women's mouths dropped,

"H-How?" Leticia began choking up. Despite not knowing McKayla the way the others did in such a short amount of time, it was scaring her, "Where?"

"His dogs," Emberly looked up from one of the seats in the room. She looked back into her lap, sniffling "He made his dogs do it."

"First Zelda goes missing and now McKayla?"

This was the first time Emberly heard of a young girl named Zelda. The more they spoke about her, the more they figured that McKayla was some type of "replacement" for her. She, too, had long red hair and a face full of freckles. One night she was summoned into Julien's office and was never heard from again. It was no question he murdered her.

"Billie, I thought you said he wouldn't kill people!" Olimpia shivered.

Billie opened her mouth but shut it. There was nothing else she could do or say to ease their extreme suspicions of him. So she kept it fearless and true.

"I've worked for Julien's family for years. I've seen what he's capable of and I know his inner-most secrets," all eyes were on her, "I should've sooner, but If we don't leave now. We're as good as dead."


	13. Episode 13 - Metamorphosis

About four days had passed and McKayla's absence was something that still shook Julien's home and no matter how much it negatively affected his communication with his "assistants", it didn't make a difference because he always had the upper hand. It all came down to fear and how he could utilize it to control them. Something that constantly crossed Nora's mind was McKayla's words. She claimed that she would've rathered dying than being kept enslaved, but did she keep that same mindset the moment she was being torn limb from limb? The thought pained her like tiny stabs and her only way of avoiding them was to stop thinking about her, but they only came back ever so often.

This far down the line, Emberly had picked up on things quite suddenly that she started navigating her way throughout the house on her very own. However, she still remained in safe distance of the others in case anything went wrong. She knew which part of the rooms Julien was in and became familiar with his schedule since he followed the same routine almost every day.

She was strolling to the kitchen when she froze in her steps and spotted Flash, who briefly looked back at her before returning its attention to the dry food in its bowl. She held her breath as the dog subtly ate its food as if no one was there. Quietly, she walked towards the fridge, which was closer to her than the four-legged mongrel. The fridge had a small calendar she began marking with given permission. Placing her finger on it, she located the day of the week: Monday, September 20th. She moved ahead ten days later and clenched her lips together, trying to avoid a weepy upheaval. As she turned away, biting her bottom lip, she gasped at the hound that sat beside her. It watched her with its beady eyes in curiosity. If she didn't know any better, she would've thought it was cute enough to pet. The way it could switch its course just by a command or sudden action was something that truly frightened her. She looked away from the dog and continued to stare at the fridge until she could hear the canine's nails tap its way along hard tiled floors and travel afar. Shortly afterward, she left the kitchen too, taking a different path to walk into the living room where Billie was alone, installing a new incense on top of the dressers.

"Hey, Emberly, are you hungry?" Billie noticed her sullen expression. Although it could be an obtuse question, she asked anyway, "Is everything okay?"

"Today's my birthday," Emberly took a while to answer.

"Aw, sweetie, why didn't you tell one of us? We would've baked you a cake or something."

"I just figured it out. Ten days later are my cousins' birthdays too."

Billie took a seat in a nearby chair,

"How does that make you feel?"

Emberly shrugged, unable to look at her for too long. As if it couldn't become anymore bleak, all of the women were assembled back into their vacancy to discuss important matters concerning their livelihoods. Leticia led the way. Everyone else, except for Quinn, was already in the room.

"...Where's my sister?" Nora became worried.

Billie closed the door behind her before speaking,

"Nora, we spoke about this."

"She won't tell him anything!" Nora displayed annoyance.

"And how do you know that?" Olimpia questioned, "Seriously, Nora, we can't discuss these things around her. She could tell him."

"She won't tell him I'll make sure of it."

"Majority rules," Leticia attempted to rationalize.

Basically, McKayla had become a martyr after what happened to her and the others were obsessed with the idea of escaping arm in arm with one another, even if it meant getting blood on their hands. They were four days in on their plan but had yet to come up with anything. On the very first day, Olimpia thought about butchering him or slicing his throat in his sleep—but none of them had the stomach or balls for it. Clearly, she was reacting out of anger but managing to catch Julien while he asleep was virtually impossible no matter how they looked at it. To become normalized to this type of lifestyle, he'd intake tons of caffeine during the day and made sure he locked the women in their little hub during the night.

They sat in a circle and discussed over a game of Crazy Eights. Meanwhile, Olimpia looked up at Emberly and noticed that she was staring at one of the cameras for far too long. While the conversation went on without her, she rested her palm on Emberly's knee,

"Hey, there's nothing to worry about," she forcibly turned her face away from the cameras, "As we said before—it's all visual, he can't hear us. If he could, we would've been dead a long time ago. You have to trust us and remember what we told you, do you remember? About body language?"

Emberly was told throughout the planning, to be very mindful with the movements and gestures she made with her body because anything slightly trivial could foil their plans. Julien was a very cunning man and he picked up on things in a hot second. It was why they played Crazy Eights: To give him the false belief that they were doing nothing more than enjoying a card game that only one of them knew how to play,

"Do you want to come and sit with us?" Billie asked.

"Nah," Leticia declined, "We don't want her to become involved with this."

"I just didn't want her to feel alone."

As the women continued to elaborate their so-called 'plan' Emberly observed them. Billie looked about as lost as a beldame on a foreign planet, Nora was still preoccupied with her worries over her sister, and Olimpia could offer nothing but irrational ideas that would get them nowhere but killed. Leticia did most of the talking, seeing that she came across as the tactful one, but her rambling consisted of nothing but "what if we did this" or "what if we did that", and Quinn might as well have been a double agent. It was getting them nowhere. Emberly glanced at the camera one last time and stood up, walking behind them as they sat on the floor in a small circle,

"Can I help?"

"No, Emberly...sweetie, we can't jeopardize your life like that," Billie instantly became overwhelmed.

"I wanna help."

"You can't!" Olimpia said, sounding just like a parent.

"Wait, wait, wait…" Nora calmed as everyone began talking about this, "Emberly. Is an eleven-year-old who can make her own decisions."

"She's twelve now. Today's her birthday," Billie enlightened with an affirming nod, smiling as if she had enlightened everyone of something worth knowing.

"We need as many hands in this as we can get. We clearly aren't getting anywhere with just the four of us," Nora called Emberly over and held her hands as Nora remained seated on her knees and looked up at her, "Emberly. Are you positive that you want to go through with this?" Emberly inhaled and nodded. Looking over at the judgemental and unsure looks from her associates, Nora clenched her hands tighter and resumed, "Okay. But I'm gonna need you to understand something. If we want this to work out, you might have to…" Nora delayed, "...put yourself in some uncomfortable situations with Julien," the regret in Emberly's lamps began to show, but Nora had to quickly reassure her. She curled her hands around Emberly's delicate fingers, feeling Emberly's own slacken, "Listen to me—I don't mean anything extreme, okay? I just mean that you might have to start talking to him more and maybe asking him if he needs help with certain things. Understand? Julien may be screwed up, but he does this because he's desperate for attention. He's quick to make friends unless someone betrays his trust. You're the only one here who hasn't had the chance to do that."

"Like Quinn?" Emberly tested.

Nora nervously chuckled,

"Yes. Like Quinn," she sniffled, "But Emberly. If he takes anything too far or if you can't handle it anymore. Let us know and we won't need you to do anything ever again. Understand?"

Emberly nodded one last time,

"I understand."

Emberly's hands were released and she added herself to the circle, squeezing herself between Billie and Olimpia. Everyone exchanged uncertain looks with one another, which all eventually settled on Nora, who acted as if she felt nothing from them. She looked up at Emberly one last time and smiled,

"Happy Birthday by the way."

* * *

The following evening, the women were doing their respective jobs for the rest of the day. This time, however, Emberly was with Quinn washing dishes in the kitchen. Quinn was probably the only person Emberly hadn't gotten much of a chance to know and even though she would try to engage with conversations with her, Emberly just thought it was too impractical to have. She'd ask questions like, "What do you think of Julien?" or state things like, "Julien likes it cleaned this way". Everything was always about Julien. Hearing his name alone made Emberly want to plug her ears with her fingers. Quinn may have had Stockholm, but she was still a smart young woman.

She picked up on the discomfort and told Emberly that she had something else to check on before evaluating her dishwashing skills. Quinn made her way up the second floor and grabbed one of the many steamers from the closest. Quickly, she steamed the curtains and clothes in Julien's bathroom and bedroom. Even though places were barely touched, Julien wanted everything to be spick-and-span. A couple of moments later, Quinn took her time and carried the steamer down multiple steps—the only pain that came with steaming. As she strolled into the living room, she plugged it into the nearest generator and began steaming one of the curtains. Noticing a stain on one of the curtains, she sighed to herself in disbelief, having just washed them three days ago. They were too long and the dogs were prone to mess it up more. As she turned around, she jumped and squealed at the sight of Emberly sitting on the sofa on the other side of the room. Still on the tip of her toes, Quinn covered her mouth to cut her scream off. Emberly apologized, claiming that she didn't know where to find her,

"I-it's fine," she placed her hand over her chest. She moved them to her hips after recovering, "Did you finish the dishes already?"

Emberly nodded,

"I use to watch dishes for my aunt all the time back home. So that was nothing."

"Do you want to help me clean the chandelier?" Quinn pointed at it in the center of the room.

The ceiling, to Emberly, had to be at least ten feet above and if there was any other way, she had never climbed a ladder before. After unconfidently agreeing to do it, she walked with the delusional girl and pranced over to the storage closet. While Emberly brought the stool because it was much easier, Quinn went through the hassle of removing the ladder and bringing it to the center of the living room floor. Thankfully, she wanted Emberly to wait until she finished in order be shown the proper way of doing it. Quinn gave Emberly some room to relax and stretch her legs while she returned to the windows to remove the draperies via step stool. However, her eyes caught something once the vertical blinds swayed back and forth. This time, Quinn purposely took a peek through the blinds and could see a black SUV making its way down the driver's lane. It stopped at the gate and two male individuals she had never seen before stepped out of the car. Gasping under her breath in hopes of not alarming anyone, Emberly, at this point had figured that Quinn was preoccupied with something.

"No, please, not again…" Quinn muttered nervously.

However, she gave a sigh of relief once she noticed the strangers return to their car and reverse out of the track. Quickly pulling herself back together she gave a faithless smile to reassure the suspicious child that everything was okay. Rolling up the curtains in her hand, she heard the intense screeching of tires. This time Emberly jumped up from her seat, feeling her heart begin to pound. Running back to the window in a panicky state, Quinn noticed the SUV speeding down the lane and eventually breaking through the estate's gateway. Quinn took Emberly and beamed out of the living room. Once they reached the grand hall it was time for them to split apart and warn the others before the intruders could find out that there were people inside of the house,

"Get Julien and I'll get the others," however, as Quinn attempted to step away, she noticed that Emberly hadn't moved a muscle, She shouted Emberly's name and continued yelling at her, "HURRY! GET HIM!" Unsure whether or not she was frozen from the fear or in a state of shock, Quinn took matters in her own hands, "Go into the room and hide! QUICK!"

Emberly took off and did as she was told but figured Quinn wouldn't get to everyone in time. If she wouldn't warn Julien, the least she could do was warn all of her other friends.

By the time Quinn reached the staircase that led to the basement, she was already breathless and her face was flushed due to a bustle of emotions. She ran down the steps as quickly as she could, entering a setting that was festive to Julien. He was jamming out to AC/DC while doing some bicep curls. Despite admiring his physique in the mirror, it took him no time to notice the maid that surprised him from behind. Quinn shouted at him, unable to get her voice above the music. Resting down his weights, he turned off the music by remote and looked at her as if she had no right to do what she did,

"What?" he answered bluntly.

"There are three men outside. They drove through the house gate!"

"Shit!" he cursed to himself. Grabbing his sleeveless top, he placed it on inside-out, "Where are they?"

"I-I don't know, the last I saw them was when they were driving through the gate."

Before he fully disappeared to get his gun, he made sure to tell Quinn to get everyone back into their bedroom before all else. Quinn watched Julien as he ran off in nothing but gym shorts and a sleeveless top, genuinely worried for his life. She was terrified to see what these men were capable of.

Emberly on the other hand, already managed to get the oldest broads who were joined by the hip. It took a little longer than expected but Nora and Olimpia were found next with their help. Informing them all about the intruders, it seemed that this wasn't the first time that something like this happened and it was most definitely not going to be the last. Halting the crowd behind her, Nora paused as she searched around the room, asking if anyone knew of her sister's whereabouts. She called out her sister's name repeatedly, hoping that Quinn would come out of hiding, but it just so happened that Quinn was nowhere within earshot—or else she would've shown up by now. Due to Emberly's confession, Nora now knew that Quinn went to fetch Julien. She didn't want her sister to end up dead because she looked out for that maniac before looking out for herself and her family. Due to the sudden quietness the women forcefully immersed themselves in, they could hear a pin drop—and sure enough, they heard the shattering of a window in one of the rooms nearby. After all of the women were inside, Billie had no choice but to slowly close the door and just as she was nearly successful she felt someone throw themselves on the door to get it open. All of the women panicked.

A hand squeezed itself through the opening to show that it was unarmed,

"It's me!" Quinn could be heard, "It's me! It's me!"

She was let in without question and ran into her younger sister's arms. However, just as Billie closed the door and turned to face the other women in the room, she noticed was off: Emberly was nowhere in sight.

* * *

She thought she could've been of help since she knew of Quinn's whereabouts but the trip to the gym was too far out of reach by the time people had broken into the estate. Quickly, she ran past the billiard room—the very room in which the three men broke into, and ran into the room beside it: The music room. She had never stepped foot in there before, but she was astounded to see diverse musical instruments with dingy white fabrics over them. Just by the mere shape, she could identify a grand piano, a harp, a guitar, a drum set, and a cello. The masculine voices jarred her back to reality and she located a large cabinet. Opening it, she noticed there was a space she could squeeze into without any hassle. Just as expected, the door that linked the billiard room to the music was opened. Emberly squeezed her eyes shut and placed both palms over her mouth to avoid her hyperventilations from being heard.

With no intention to find out how these men looked, Emberly could already identify two voices. But as she listened closely, she could've sworn one of the voices sounded scary familiar.

 _Jolyn?_ She thought to herself.

From the voice to the chuckle, it sounded like the essence of him. She listened as their voices traveled and she grew oddly incautious just by listening to the mellow tone of that _one_ voice. Following her gut, Emberly pushed opened the door, feeling the necessity to see her kin face to face.

"Jolyn?" she exclaimed with a cracked voice.

As both men turned to face her, neither appeared to be who she thought they'd be. They were both white—clearly relatives that shared intricately similar facial features; from their eyes to their noses, to their overbites. They were both mid-aged men, whereas one looked fairly younger. It might have been the cabinet or it might have been her mind, but from the outside, Emberly could no longer here Jolyn's voice. Neither of them sounded like her older cousin.

There was a long and palpable pause. They were just as stunned as she was, examining her get up from head to toe. One of them carried a loaded rifle but obviously had no intention to point it at an innocent girl—especially one of Emberly's demeanor. From the looks of it, she stood in a position whereas she _had_ to hold her thighs together or else she was gonna urinate.

They exchanged looks with one another and the youngest one took a step forward and went on one knee. His ultimate goal was to refrain from frightening her but Emberly couldn't move no matter how hard she tried. She kept her eyes pinned on the rifle before the youngest one, who introduced himself as Tate, began to speak. He interrogated Emberly asking her all sorts of questions from if she lived here by herself to if she had a family. He slowly reached into the pocket of his wool vest jacket, calming her in the process. Offering her a snack he had already taken a couple of bites from, there was no harm in sharing it with someone he just met.

"If you want, you can have the rest. It's an almond bar."

His efforts to get Emberly to trust him was no different than what Julien did and although she figured she was ahead of the game, she supposed the least she could do was refuse his offer by shaking her head.

The older one who was clearly laid back suggested that Tate just leave her alone and continue with what they came to do, which was raid the house.

After a long moment of silence, out of the blue, Olimpia ran in from the billiard room and ran in front of Emberly. Olimpia nearly shrieked at the sight of the men she had no idea were in the room before she ran in. From their perspective, it didn't take a rocket scientist to understand that there was something incredibly strange about this picture. Sure, the maid outfit could've been something Emberly simply found as means for clothes, but seeing Olimpia in the exact same outfit made them wonder exactly what the hell was going on. The older one, referred to as Jeremy, was clearly a guy who didn't want to get involved in difficult situations. But this time, he decided to step in,

"Who the hell are you people?" he judged.

Olimpia stood in front of Emberly, shoving her further behind for protection,

"Please. Don't hurt us, just let her go and you can take whatever you want..."

Jeremy noted the word 'we', which indicated that there were possibly others. Yet, something still didn't add up—the details of their uniforms: Shoes, stockings, even their hairstyles. What on earth would maids, one being a child, get out of doing manual labor in one of the wealthiest estates in Canada? Hell, it was the end of the damn world. This type of shenanigans was the last time anyone expected to see at a time like this.

He went on to explain that they thought a place like this would've been abandoned a long time ago and that looting this place would be like winning the apocalyptic jackpot. Ideally, they expect to run into reanimated and nothing more. Normally, they'd still steal and get away with whatever they could regardless if a house was owned by someone, but Tate and Jeremy ultimately had a soft spot for these two strangers. At least hoping to come down to some sort of compromise, they asked if they could at least get their hands on something before hitting the road.

"Is everything okay here…?" Jeremy questioned one last time.

Taking a long time to answer, Olimpia looked back at Emberly,

"Do you have a safe place?" Olimpia inquired, "Please. You have to take her out of here and get her somewhere safe."

"No!" Emberly objected, not knowing these men from a can of paint.

The hairs on both men's backs began to stand,

"What the hell is going?" Jeremy underestimated, "Look if you need help—"

"No, you don't understand. You have to leave and get help. It's not sa—" suddenly, she paused.

Her eyes became manic and she was clearly terrified. Emberly also had a telling reaction, completely disappearing behind Olimpia. Jeremy's eyes wandered and peered at a tiny, smudged up mirror directly across from both he and his comrade. He could see a distorted figure edging behind them. Suddenly Jeremy pushed Tate to the side so powerfully, that he was thrown into a wall. Jeremy dived to the opposite side just as Julien's gun went off, shattering the very mirror that gave his position away. Emberly and Olimpia ran into the next room and burrowed underneath the pool table, steering clear of any gunfire.

Just as Jeremy attempted to make it to his feet, Julien pulled the trigger without hesitating and shot the intruder in the chest about two to three times. Jeremy stumbled backward after feeling his rib shatter from the impact of the bullet. Blood dripped from his lips and he finally fell back, getting one lucky shot that Julien least expected. He yelped and skipped on one leg, feeling the searing bullet inside his flesh. On the verge of breaking down, Tate snapped back to his senses rather quickly for someone who witnessed the murder of a relative. He dashed into the billiard room seeing Emberly and Olimpia underneath the pool table. He understood that each servant was as much as a victim as he were right now, but his initial desire to help them died along with his relative—there was no way in hell he could take them back with him unless this asshole was as good as dead.

Locked from the other side, Julien rammed the door down with his shoulder on his third try. Catching him just in time, Julien fired multiple times at Tate. Getting caught by one bullet, the second intruder stumbled to the side and crashed into a wooden cabinet, causing the glass window and shelves to shatter. Tate collapsed to the floor and rolled out of the way before the rest of the wooden frame could crush him. Swiftly, he vanished on to the next linked room: The dining hall.

Before he could slam the door, he fired his own handgun and hit Julien in the side,

"AGGHHH, SHIT!" He yelled in frustration as he rested on the nearest wall, holding his side.

Stunned, he missed his footing and crashed to the floor. His massive size shook the room, being at the exact level as his two captives who hid for their lives. He mustered up as much remaining energy as he could and made it to his feet. He looked as good as dead with the way he staggered towards the door and with the amount of plasma that trailed behind him. He jimmied the doorknob and realized that it failed to open. The dining hall was one of the largest rooms in the house and there were two other doors that Julien hadn't tried yet. However, those doors managed to become locked as well in the amount of time Julien spent to make it there. Breathing quite heavily and wincing with every hop he took, he necessitated a small break and rested his back on the wall,

"I appreciate your efforts, little guy...but you wanna know something I learned from my father when I was about your age?" Julien began sounding as if he was delirious for death, "I learned that majority of the burglaries committed are communal because it's easier for culprits to rob in areas they're familiar with. They have a better chance of escaping," he paused for a moment, "But...what if they break into a place they have no familiarity with? What happens..." he traced his thick fingers along the wallpaper and began to softly tap it, "...if the victim is far more familiar with the environment than the thieves themselves?"

He placed his ear, as well as the muzzle of his gun, against the wall and remained attentive to whatever was going on on the other side. Patiently waiting for what felt like five very long minutes, Julien heard a soft _creak_ he knew like the back of his hand and pulled himself away from the wall. He braced himself and emptied his barrel, closely shooting various spots in the wall. Remaining in place, he listened closely and heard a what sounded like a body stumbling and slumping on his varnished floors—in the mix of the commotion was painful groans. Failing at ramming this particular door open with his shoulder, Julien had no choice but to use one of his legs to kick it open. Taking a ten-second interval between each kick, he managed to power through on his seventh punt. He face-planted into the dining hall and, unable to instantly get up, looked over at the young man partially laying underneath the dinner table. He was still alive but he was as good as dead. Julien struggled to stand one more time and noticed his opponent's gun inches away from his reach. Suddenly grabbing it before the stranger could, Julien delivered the final shot that would, not only, end his life but prevent him from returning as Ill. Never having felt this level of exhaustion in a _long_ time, Julien threw out a chair and sat in it to catch his breath.

Needless to say, the third member of their party foolishly came after them despite the frantic gunshots. He climbed in through the very same window and was surprised by Julien, who put him in a chokehold. Once he passed out, Julien guiltlessly finished him off.

* * *

"I can't keep doing this," Olimpia said, whimpering into her palms as she looked into the lifeless eyes of the young boy.

"Keep it together, Olimpia," Leticia instructed as they searched the body, "You aren't the only one who doesn't like this, but it isn't worth losing your mind over."

"You goddamn keep it together!" she spat through gritted teeth.

Olimpia looked the most miserable she ever had in the short amount of time she spent in this place. Things were finally getting to her. They both looked through Tate's pockets, finding nothing worth keeping. There was candy, a wristwatch, and a photograph of what they presumed was family—essentially nothing in Leticia's eyes,

"Help me turn him over," she requested.

Feeling somewhere around his hindquarters, Olimpia nearly stuck herself with a sharp object. Carefully, she reached into the pocket and pulled out a small knife. Their eyes met for a moment and just as Leticia wordlessly watched her attempt to sneak it in her pocket, she froze after hearing a familiar voice,

"Give it to me," they both looked at the nearest entrance, seeing Quinn supervise them like they were a bunch of dishonest children. She walked towards Olimpia who stood erect as she approached her. Quinn placed out her hand, "Give it to me and I won't tell Julien anything. I'm doing this because I care."

"Just give her the knife, Olimpia," Leticia stood up afterward, noticing an unpredictable look in her eyes.

As endangering as Quinn was to everyone else, other than herself, Leticia was in total favor of knocking some sense into her—but this was Nora's sister and Leticia at least respected Nora enough to forbid harm to her mentally distressed sibling. Olimpia safely handed the blade over and observed her walk out. Soon afterward they searched the remaining bodies, again, finding nothing that could benefit them. As for the firearms, Julien made sure to add them to his armory before sending the women to clean up after him.

Emberly was in Julien's room for the first time. He had a king-sized bed with a decorative canopy bed frame. His carpet was stainless, navy colored, and he had golden curtains along all of his windows. Billie was on the edge of his bed, cleaning his wounds with piss hot water. His wounds weren't only painful but they never seemed to stop bleeding at this rate. He knew that if he were alone he'd most likely be dead by now. Billie left the room and advised Emberly to stay behind and to be of some "hopeful assistance". The older woman gave her a funny gaze before exiting the room.

"Hey," Julien addressed Emberly, looking through the netted-drapes that surrounded his bed, "Come help me out for a minute."

By the doorway, Emberly's eyes explored up and down the corridor, hoping that her pledged protectors would be anywhere nearby. However, she could tell Julien was growing impatient and withdrawn after he called her over a second time. She took her time to approach his bed and stood about four feet away from him. He stretched out his arm,

"What, you think I'm gonna hurt some kid?" he beckoned, "Get over here and help me sit up."

Julien was a built man that stood over six feet, so Emberly wondered what someone of her stature could do that he couldn't on his very own. But remembering her part of the escape plan, she ate away the fear and pulled him up with all her might. The right side of his shirt was covered in blood so dark it looked abnormal. As instructed, Emberly grabbed a pair of scissors and cut through his shirt because his injuries were just too tender for him to remove it on his own. She began to clean his wounds, eventually transitioning the tub of clear water to a copper red,

"Good job," Julien complimented, "You're...surprisingly good at that."

Emberly got up after pulling out a large splinter that was stuck in the side of his kneecap. According to him, he hadn't even felt it.

"Thank you," she mumbled walking to the center of his room.

Not sure if it mattered or not but Julien was pleased to get more than a word from her ever since their time at the forest. Despite her being such a quick learner, pretending he didn't exist made him feel like a monster sometimes. Now that she had even breathed in his direction, completely misunderstanding the situation, he thought her initial fears had potential to be a thing of the past,

"You've dealt with things like this before?"

Emberly held up the remains of his shirt to the sunlight. She split it down the center and threw out the bloodied stains.

"My dad," Emberly turned back around, "He was visually impaired and would end up having accidents sometimes."

Julien didn't say anything back, but only because he was too busy wincing from the pressure that Emberly was putting on him. Of course, she was purposely inflicting pain on him but she warned him beforehand, under the guise that she had to tourniquet his leg to stop the bleeding. Eventually, Billie arrived with the first-aid kit and a bottle of straight liquor to ease the pain. Although it wasn't required, she gave her deepest apologies for the delay. Whether it was because of the blood loss or Emberly's care, Julien decided not to comment on it.

The elder woman thanked Emberly and the preteen took it as her ticket to go. However, just as she was about to exit, she was called again,

"I think this is something you should watch. Billie is the only one who has the chops to do this stuff and...she's not getting any younger. So if anything were to happen, at least you'd be around. So, I think it's best you learn a thing or two." Julien explained.

Jesus, how long did this lunatic plan on keeping her here? Having her back turned to him, Bille relaxed her posture and subtly blinked at Emberly as if it were an inclination to their next move. Still facing the door, Emberly shut the door and closed herself in with them.

* * *

The day before was long and exhausting. It lasted until nighttime. Billie clowned Julien's "surgery" with all of the other women in the house and compared the whole process to her own experience with child labor. _He acts so big and bad but he's the biggest punk I've ever met_ , Emberly remembered her saying.

Julien heard soft knocks on his bedroom door the next morning. After granting, whoever it was, access, Emberly opened the door. In her hands, she held an empty basin, a white washcloth, and a first-aid kit. She stood by the door, afraid to make a move without his permission. Picking up on it, he motioned her to freely roam the room,

"It's okay. You can use the sink in the bathroom. Do whatever you have to."

Emberly walked into the lavatory and no more than a minute later, she walked back out with the basin partially filled with lukewarm water. She was picking up on things quite quickly—even she was impressed with herself. She had stressed the proper steps, before going to sleep the night before, that she asked Billie to run through it about five times.

Again, she helped to sit him up and wrung out the washcloth that had been soaking. Removing his old bandages, which were now soiled with dry blood and other warm-colored bodily fluids, she tossed it into the trash bin beside his bed. She patted them clean, applied some antibiotic ointment, and covered them back up with a fresh roll of gauze. He laid back in relief, feeling a slight sense of rejuvenation. Breaking the silence, he thanked her,

"You're welcome," she mumbled tastelessly.

Walking to the bathroom she, emptied out the contaminated water into the toilet. While there, she stumbled across an old photograph on the floor. Holding the basin underneath one arm, she picked up the photograph and thoroughly looked at it. It was a picture of a little boy in what appeared to be a baseball uniform, cap, and a bat. Before exiting, she rested it on the side of his bed, thinking he'd appreciate the gesture. His finger's searched the bed and his drunken vision cleared up,

"Where'd you find this?" He said, sounding a bit aggressive.

"The bathroom..." she mumbled.

"Oh," he straightened his posture, "So, that's where I dropped it."

The photo of the young boy reminded Emberly of any child around her age, especially pleasant memories of Hunter,

"Is that your son?" Emberly mustered up the guts to ask.

"What?" he gaped, "No, no. That's me," Emberly bit her bottom lip but only because felt deceived by a mere photograph. Just as Julien did the first time, his picture managed to do the same. What she saw was a cute young boy when in reality it was the monster that was sitting in front of her—the man who that cute little league would eventually become. Maybe it was the numbing liquor, but Julien began reflecting despite Emberly not saying a word after that, "I use to play for my town's baseball team. It was one of my favorite sports."

He looked up at Emberly, which prompted her to say something. Anything,

"How long did you play?"

"Just a year," he chuckled to himself and ran his fingers through his beard, "Yeah, I remember we uh...we made it to the championship and I ended up eating a peanut butter sandwich. I had such a bad allergic reaction to it. I went into anaphylactic shock and had to be rushed to the ER," he continued gazing at the picture, getting lost in the eyes of his own childhood, "My mom got so worried she ended up taking me out of baseball. She was so overprotective that I never got to play any sports or do much of anything after that. My father, on the other hand, was such a workaholic and so obsessed with his business that he was barely around…" Emberly could've felt bad for him, but she didn't. _Tough shit_ , she thought. He was a rich man complaining about how shitty his life had been as if it were a reason to understand why he was committing such devilish acts. He placed the photo down and looked up at her, "What were your parents like?"

Emberly came up with a bunch of lies on the spot that made Julien believe she was truly opening up to him. And like a hungry fish, he took the bait. He believed that he establishing some sort of connection with her. Frankly, she was insulted to see that a character such as himself thought he possessed the aptitude to outwit a girl like her. He thought that because she was youthful, she'd be easier to persuade. Easier than Quinn. To him, girls like her were weak and feebleminded. But the joke was all on him.

Still heavily intoxicated, he dozed off in the middle of Emberly's speaking. Far from wanting to disturb him, she exited his bedroom and shut his door in a manner that wouldn't wake him.

As she made her way down the corridor, she began seeing photographs that she never seemed to notice before. They were photos of him, his wealthy father, and elegant mother. As she proceeded to march, Julien grew older in every single one of them. His jolly and innocent smile became burdened with greed and misery. At the very end of the corridor, was a picture of Julien by himself, bitter and unhappy.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, readers. I hope you're all enjoying these Emberly-centric chapters because I sure didn't expect to be enjoying them as much as I am. Just a quick heads up, we're one episode away from the season finale, so I hope you guys stay tuned. Please, I'd really love to know what you guys think so far. Critiques, as well as positive comments, are encouraged.**


	14. Episode 14 - Home Run

Thankfully, due to its size, the gate to the Chenot estate wasn't damaged as Julien expected it to be. The only issue was repairing it. Lacking the proper tools and condition, it was an automatic deal-breaker. It angered him because this was clearly going to be something he'd have to expect to happen again. He had all these extra hands and never, not once, thought about acquiring someone with carpentry or maintenance skills. He thought he could be the one responsible for that—wrong. The gate was so badly bent in certain areas that the most Julien could do was force them shut by chaining them together. Before all else, he prioritized keeping everywhere sealed (including the broken window from earlier), because he needed every single one of his 'helpers' around. Just as McKayla did, any one of them could have attempted to escape seeing that he didn't possess the strength to chase after them. He couldn't risk that, even if it meant sacrificing rehabilitation time. He was still recovering from his wounds and needed a crutch to get around. He could barely stand too long without his crutch and could walk even less. Regarding other casualties? There were just a few reanimated that managed to stumble on his property. As big as it was, he could chain up first and save them for last.

Burying the bodies that were still in his home was something he had to prioritize because they were beginning to funk up his rooms. Julien did what he could but for the most part, Nora, Quinn, Olimpia, and Emberly helped dig cemetery plots in his front garden away from the house. It was hard enough having to dig a six feet deep cemetery plot, so Julien settled for four. Meanwhile, Billie and Leticia kept a lookout for any reanimated in the region. By the time they were all finished, Julien had already shot four. From the looks and sounds of it, none were left.

"Ugh, do we have to bury those too?" Emberly asked, rubbing her dirt-stained hands on her apron.

"Are you tired?" he examined the hardworking kid. Emberly nodded, clearly consumed just as much as the rest of the girls, "Then don't worry about it. We'll worry about the rest of the Ill tomorrow. Right now we can just focus on those assholes who broke in."

Everyone's, especially Quinn's, eyebrows furrowed. They were surprised that he so willingly showed Emberly some mercy. It was almost as if the young child had him under sort of spell.

"Let's go get the bodies then," Quinn took initiative.

She was the first to climb out of the pit and enter the house. While others took their sweet time to follow, Emberly walked closely behind Quinn through the grand hall and into the main corridor. The doors, however, was locked from the outside and needed a passcode in order to grant access to whoever was outside. Quinn stepped away for a split second and returned with a box of those very items. They were dealing with dead bodies, so a fresh pair of rubber gloves and surgical masks were supplied to safely dispose of the bodies. Something as small as a face mask had the capability of conjuring flashbacks of her aunt and family. She froze for a moment before snapping back to reality, needing a quick moment to herself,

"I'm going to get the rest of the girls…" Emberly proposed before stepping away.

Before Quinn could respond, Emberly had already marched back to the main entrance. Too preoccupied with whatever else, the rest of the women didn't even notice Emberly just standing there. Everyone except Billie walked to the corridor where Quinn was already in the dining room, picking up Tate's body. Emberly stood by the doorway, inquisitively staring as the women walked into the room, informally chattering as if this was part of their everyday lives. Quinn held one arm, Leticia held the other, Olimpia held one leg, and Nora held the opposite. They counted to three and hoisted up the young man's greying corpse. Emberly barely had to do anything. After they successfully carried him out on their own and they dumped his body in the four-foot gap as if he were a bag of trash. Even though they were whipped from exhaustion, Quinn waited in the music room for them to dump the second body in the exact same manner. Realizing that it would take up too much time to make three graves individually, Julien made the disrespectful decision to discard all three bodies together,

"Emberly," Julien called just seconds before she could enter the house with her friends. She turned to look at him and he beckoned her over. As she carefully approached him, he repositioned his crutch underneath his arm, "I have a pretty simple job for you," Emberly followed his glance at Billie, "I want you to keep a lookout for a while. Billie has to use the bathroom..." Emberly's eyes grew fearful as they widened. She looked over at Billie with uncertainty as she was parked by the front steps, ready to run a marathon to the bathroom, "Hey, look at me," Julien attempted to relax her, "This is nothing compared to what you've been through. Billie and the dogs herded the reanimated over to me and I'm sure I killed all of them. You don't need to go far, I just need you to keep a lookout just so one doesn't surprise us."

"...Fine," Emberly gave in, trusting his word for some odd reason.

He waved Billie a signal and she ran into the house as quickly as she could. Emberly took a couple of steps to the side, placing her hands on her hips and looking both to the left and right of the massive home. It was just so massive she was bound to miss _something_ , she thought.

Strangely, the thing that made Emberly feel safe was the vicious beasts Julien called his pets. From what Emberly had seen up close, Sheva was definitely the most reckless and was actually one of the reasons their days to relax became less frequent. Maybe the poor mammal was losing her mind but something was always destroyed at the paws of Sheva. She'd tear up paperwork and rip holes into pillows cushions and sheets. Despite her prowess in being so reckless, her shiny white coat was the most alluring apart from all the bleak warm colors around them. However, the very canine began to bark nonstop. She growled and ran in circles and kept her attention in one area. Julien whistled at her, trying to grab her attention a couple of times but it barely diverted her attention away from what had her hooked. Flash and Cerebus were obviously taking a break, seeing that Sheva had everything under control.

"The hell is she going off about?" Julien questioned just before he turned his attention to the housemaids carrying out their third body.

While he was instructing them on what to do, Emberly wandered off to follow Sheva. With her constant barking and walking patterns, it was almost as if she was leading someone to follow her. On the sidelines, even Cerebus and Flash seemed to be distracted by something that Emberly couldn't get a full view of. The young New Yorker made sure that no one was supervising her before she snuck off and followed Sheva. Nearly making it to the other side of the house, Emberly saw a red-haired walker slithering across the courtyard grounds with two bloodied hands. It was McKayla.

Her breathing picked up as the beating of her heart did and when she opened her mouth to call someone, a shrill scream came out instead. The housemaids were the first to make it over before Julien caught up with them. The women ran to her aid, obviously upset by the reanimated that was making it into their field of vision. The first to coddle Emberly was Olimpia, who attempted to cover her eyes but Emberly resisted.

"Oh my god," Billie covered her entire mouth, catching up with them last.

"What the hell is it?" Julien said, quickly hobbling over to the rest of the women.

All of them jumped just by the sound of him and when they all turned, none of them could answer. In his mind, he was prepared to see something that he would be disappointed in but as he got closer, they cleared him a path, similar to Moses parting a sea. They allowed him to observe the state of McKayla for himself: Her face was slightly disfigured with fresh bite marks as well as her limbs—the severity of her leg was so serious that she could only operate one leg and half of the other. Her hands had blood surrounding her fingertips seeing that her fingernails had fallen off due to her constant creeping through the hard pavement. Her skin was essentially hardened and her eyes were pale and looking in opposite directions. It was unclear what was processing through Julien's mind. It almost looked as if he felt remorseful because he knew he was the cause of this upsetting scene. He removed his gun from his holster and prepared to shoot her after walking a good two feet. As all starving reanimated did, they grew eager whenever their meals got within close enough—so as Julien inched closer, she kicked around and her growls and snarls enhanced. Julien timed himself for the perfect shot and as he pulled the trigger, his gun made a lifeless _click._

McKayla grabbed hold of his crutch and attempted to sink her teeth into his leather boots. Julien stumbled backward and lost his footing as the crutch was thrown out of his hold. He screamed, falling directly on his injured side and attempted to kick away McKayla. The thing that lived on in McKayla was the vengeance in her eyes. Julien searched around for something nearby to use. The crutch was too far out of reach and his handgun was useless. He looked up at his housekeepers, seeing nothing but a look of optimism on all each of their faces,

"HELP!" He screamed.

Quinn took a step and felt Nora grab her wrist. She mouthed the words _don't_ , but she yanked herself away and grabbed a baseball bat that wasn't too far off from either of them. In the midst, Julien whistled for one of his dogs to tug McKayla from behind, delaying the time it took for her to reach up and bite him on his leg. Once he finally got his hand on the bat he shooed his pet away and senselessly flattened McKayla's profile into the pavement. Even though she was officially dead after the first two hits, Julien sat up and gave a few more bashes. Sicked to her stomach, Emberly ran off to the side and stumbled into the grass, throwing up behind the bushes. Without much assistance, Julien stood up on his own. Quinn wanted to lend a helping hand, but after noticing the suspect silence that each of the ladies gave him when he needed them most frustrated him. He grumbled and cursed at Quinn. He glared at the group of women as he staggered past them,

"You're lucky I don't go into my goddamn armory and mow every one of you down after that shit you just pulled."

Right now, he was at his weakest and the tiniest screw up could mean his life. So for the time being, it was defeating to admit that all six of them were his lifeline. He just never said it out loud.

After burying the last of the bodies, Julien retired to his bedroom for the rest of the day. As much as he didn't want to show it, there was no way to hide that he was at the weakest he had ever been; mentally and physically. He hated feeling helpless.

Emberly was rounded up with the rest of her guardians in the kitchen, washing their hands of any dirt they managed to get through their gloves. Emberly not only had to clean the dirt off her hands but the barf off her glasses after they managed to fall in it. She spent a good time washing her hands thoroughly and was told to meet in the housemaid's room once she was finished. Doing what she was told, she closed the door behind her, seeing the women sit in yet another circle and playing Crazy Eights. She knew what that meant by now and was actually hoping that it wouldn't be a waste of time. Their days of planning had become endless: They'd plan after breakfast, during their mid-day breaks, while cleaning the floors, and even when they'd wait in line for showers,

"Emberly," Leticia patted the cushion beside her.

Doing as expected, she sat beside Leticia and felt herself being snugged around her shoulders. By the look on all of their faces and the rare drawing of the curtains, things felt lighter and unusual to her. She stared back at all of them and a nervous smile appeared on her face. They looked back into the center and began tossing in cards after Olimpia handed Emberly a deck. Leticia slightly leaned in, "We're leaving today," Leticia maintained looking into the center.

"Tonight," Olimpia specified.

"We finally came up with a plan," Billie snickered like a schoolchild, entirely confident in whatever it was.

At this point, everyone was so elated that they were putting down whatever card they had in hand. Emberly didn't mean to be pessimistic about it but _any_ plan could outrank choosing to voluntarily work for a piece of shit like Julien. She was willing to bet that this plan would barely get them to the front door,

"And Quinn...?" Nora asked, seemingly being the only one who was unhappy.

"We'll tell her when we're leaving, Nora. She'll have to least expect it so she can have no choice but to leave with us."

"I don't know. I've been thinking," Nora sighed, "Maybe I can convince her?"

"No," Leticia shook her head, "Baby, we already spoke about this."

"I've been thinking about what you guys have been saying and I finally understand that there's something...deeply, deeply wrong with her," Nora began to get choked up but she held her composure a lot better than she usually did when she worried about Quinn, "I'm scared she might not leave with us. What if she warns him or screams his name."

"Are you willing to leave her?" Olimpia looked over at her.

That was a question so controversial, everyone felt it.

"I-I can't just leave my sister here with that man!" She finally gave in to the tears.

This constant war over Quinn had everyone exhausted, even Emberly to some extent.

"I'm sorry Nora, but it's either that or we forcefully drag her out of that house," Leticia commented, taking a deal breath, "And I love that girl to death, so I'd prefer the latter."

The expressions on Nora's face froze when they began to explain that the best way to free the hostage in Quinn was to make her one. These words confused Nora and that's when they all began to explain that they held conferences behind Nora's back on dealing with Quinn. Ultimately, it would result in tying her hands and gagging her with duct tape. Emberly knew about these conferences but to steer clear of the impending fit Nora was about to give, she stayed out of it. Olimpia grew tired of the bickering and snapped back. She stated a disclaimer, acknowledging that it wasn't the best idea but rather the only one—and that if Nora had something better than getting all of them killed because of her sister, she had to speak up. Their dialogue became so palpable everyone stopped speaking and continued to absentmindedly play,

"So how are we doing it?" Emberly broke the silence.

It was usually Quinn's job to feed the dogs but Billie convinced her to hand over the responsibility since they hadn't swapped duties in a while. She was going to technically famish the dogs and lure them into a separate room in the house and lock them in. Olimpia volunteered herself for the next plan, which was to distract Julien by using his attraction to her as an advantage—anything to keep him out of the surveillance room. Lastly, they would have to break out one of the windows—one furthest from his range of hearing—by using a tool they had yet to discover. His weakened state should give Olimpia enough time to sneak out of his bedroom and sneak outside with the rest of them.

After the plan was verbally laid out, they suddenly felt a surge of unconfidence. It was risky but each of them learned one day or another that people had to be willing to die if they wanted things to change. McKayla may have been stubborn, but she taught them that and it'd be an insult to her death if they remained complicit to Julien's abuse.

* * *

After they concluded their gathering, Emberly thought that this plan just could have worked. Why it took someone having to die in order for them to act on it was beyond her. But there was no time for pointless questions. If this could have very well meant their last time together, whether it meant making it out alive or having to die alongside them, she wanted to make it memorable. She walked into the grand hall, appreciating its vastness and vintage appeal. Quinn was on a ladder cleaning the chandelier with an old feather duster,

"Quinn?" Emberly's voice echoed slightly over the music coming from one of the rooms.

Quinn looked down,

"Oh, hi, Emberly. What is it?"

"I wanted to ask you something," Quinn briefly looked at her, waiting for the request. Emberly nervously played with her fingers, "It was my birthday recently and...I was just wondering if you could make us some cupcakes for all of us tonight."

"Sure thing," Quinn smiled as she looked down and chuckled, "As long as you're willing to help me."

Emberly happily agreed and waited for Quinn to make her way down the ladder. The chandelier was something so constantly touched by Quinn, everyone was surprised that it hadn't fallen on her yet. As she walked past Emberly to get the kitchenware ready, Emberly's eye caught the bloodied baseball bat in the corner of the grand hall, directly beside the doorway. She envisioned McKayla getting hit over and over again and each time she closed her eyes to shake away the queasy feeling, it only got worse. She looked up at the nearby stairs, listening to the soft vinyl music that seeped from Julien's bedroom. She cautiously approached the baseball bat and stared at the blood that dried into its wooden fibers. However, the longer she stared at it the less it bothered her. She thought about Julen's love for baseball back when he was a child and how it could be correlated to his issues and to the person he had become. Eventually, she took a couple of steps back and left.

She looked all over the house until she found Leticia and Billie in the dining room and noticed them scrubbing thick and coupled bloodstains from the carpet. The young girl walked into a laugh-filled atmosphere; jokes that only these two found humorous no doubt,

"Hi Emberly," Billie smiled.

"Hello,"

"What is it, my dear?" Leticia sat erect while on her knees, "Want to help?"

"No," Emberly chuckled, "I was just wondering if you found anything on that boy that was in this room?" Emberly recalled him as Tate, believing he deserved remembrance.

"Nothing really. Olimpia and I just found an old rusty knife and some candy wrappers in his pockets...trash mostly"

"Oh okay," the young girl understood, "Did anyone throw out the trash yet?"

"It's in the waste room..." Leticia grew quite curious as to why Emberly seemed so interested in trash, "Emberly, what's going on?"

"It's just that I lost Nora's hair scrunchy and I think it could be in one of those bags."

"Well, Nora has more, sweetie," Billie enlightened.

"I know, but it was the yellow one and I really liked it. Also, if we're going through with you-know-what...I want to have it to remember her by."

Leticia and Billie exchanged a sympathetic look,

"Okay, baby, just be careful," Leticia dismissed her.

They continued scrubbing as Emberly stepped away from the door. She ventured past all of the rooms in the corridor and walked into the commercial kitchen way at the end of it. All the way to the back was a separate long white hall that led to a pair of double doors that led to the garbage room. As soon as she walked in, her eyes watered once she took in a whiff of the harsh scents. Bringing up her forearm to her face, she covered her snout with her sleeve. She noticed three grey industrial garbage bins with wheels and each of them was nearly stacked to the ceiling. Her eyes darted at nearly every single one of them in one swift glaze of her eyes,

"Dammit!" she swore through her sleeve.

* * *

It was nearing midnight in a couple of hours and Emberly wanted to at least make sure that these cupcakes were done just in time or else no one would get to enjoy themselves before all hell broke loose. Emberly walked into the pantry and grabbed all of the needed ingredients, calmly stepping over Cerberus' tail. She threw in flour, sugar, vanilla extract, and found some untouched strawberry frosting. She stared around a bit longer at every shelf, organized by type. She looked over at the condiment shelf and noticed all types except for one particular one she was a fan of. She patted Cerberus on the head and walked out of the pantry, leaving the door wide open behind her so the canine could exit whenever they pleased. Quinn grabbed the ingredients, thanking her while prepping the oven,

"How are we still able to cook?"

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked, cracking the eggs. She gave Emberly the precise measurements for the powdered ingredients, "Just get started on those."

"Like, how does the oven still work and stuff? I thought everywhere was supposed to be blacked out."

She enlightened her on this huge generator rumored to be downstairs. None of them had actually seen it but it was the only explanation as to how things still managed to work in the home. Their reason for never laying eyes on it was most likely for Julien's privacy. The more they spoke of it, she pointed out it was why lights automatically went out at a certain time—Julien was the one controlling it. Their short but cherished conversations paid off in the end, seeing that they managed to get all of their ingredients together. Lastly, Quinn evenly poured the batter into the muffin tray,

"All of us can't eat twelve muffins."

"We can save some for tomorrow," The young girl stated, "Would it be okay if I got two?"

"I don't see why not, birthday girl."

Permission or not, she still would've taken it, but she had to keep this act up like everyone or else Quinn would suspect they were up to something. Just as she was helping her clean, she knocked over the glass bowl with her elbow. Both she and Quinn jumped as it hit the ground. The glass scattered everywhere and Emberly frowned as they made eye contact. She apologized multiple times and even overreacted to the possibility of Julien finding out. All Quinn could do was reassure her that everything was going to be fine—she didn't make any promises that she wouldn't tell Julien, but she left to go grab a broom and dustpan.

Emberly carefully kept an eye on her as she walked out of sight and approached the oven with her hands buried in her apron pockets. Shocked to hear footsteps returning so soon, she stepped aside and noticed Nora stick her head into the kitchen. A dull smile appeared on her face as her eyes searched the room. Of course, she was looking for her older sister.

Wanting nothing more than for her to leave, Emberly informed her on her sister's whereabouts without her even having to ask, specifically telling her which route Quinn took in hopes of further delaying them both. However, the opposite happened. She watched Nora tip-toe into the kitchen. Emberly hands began sweating the longer they remained in her pockets,

"What happened here?"

"The bowl. It fell...by accident."

"Oh, okay. How long are those cupcakes gonna take?"

"Hopefully a couple of minutes," Emberly muttered.

"Okay...well," Nora took a trembled breath and rested her palms on Emberly's shoulders, "Just remember that after we're finished celebrating...we're gonna go through with it. Tonight."

Emberly nodded,

"I know."

"Remember. He's injured, so it's now or never..."

This was something that Emberly already knew and she felt as if Nora was telling her this because she wanted some sort of reassurance that she wasn't the only one freaking out—it was in her eyes. But Emberly couldn't give any justification to fear, including her own at this very moment.

Feeling as if her mission was insufficient, Nora walked away,

"Everything's going to be okay…" Emberly commented before she could vanish.

Nora took a second to purely smile before walking off to search for Quinn. Quickly, Emberly removed a balled-up hand from her pocket and opened the oven with the other. Reaching into the oven, she quickly sprinkled an ingredient into each of the cupcakes. Getting to at least nine of them, she quickly removed her hand as she heard footsteps coming back in her direction. She swiftly closed the oven and slid to the floor, acting as if she were picking up shards of glass from the floor. Before she could get in contact with one, Quinn returned just in time to stop her. Wanting to prevent a bloody accident, she swept up every little piece of glass she could find and disposed of it in the nearest trash.

Around seventeen to eighteen minutes later, the cupcakes were officially finished and decorated. Everyone was instantly summoned into the kitchen, but before diving in, they each made a toast as if it were a final farewell, "cheers" they all said one after another. Olimpia, on the other hand, couldn't bring herself to eat it. She had no desire to eat ever since she woke up that very morning. The most she did was drink wine that Julien didn't like.

The last person to finish their cupcake was Quinn and she was still licking her fingers. Although she didn't have a clue, they each respected her enough to let her finish before throwing the house down on her. The women huddled up together and looked to the side, seeing all three of Julien's dogs drool over their delicacies.

"This is it, Billie," huffed.

"This is it…" Leticia affirmed.

In case things looked too suspicious on the camera feed, they went in separate directions but remained in close quarters. Quinn cleaned up and organized some more in the kitchen while Emberly held on to a plate with a cupcake sitting in the center.

Before they got too hungry and decided to make any one of the maids their meals for the day, Billie called all three animals over to follow her. She gathered their snacks and meals and if there was anything the dogs loved more than dry food, it was canned dog food mixed in together with it. They were perceptive little mongrels and spoke in excitement whenever they saw the canned foods. Opening up a can so their snouts could follow the scent, which was oddly pleasant to everyone else, Billie stacked their bowls and led them upstairs and into a vacant room. She filled up their bowls unevenly and threw the treats across the room and left the bag of dry food wide open. As similar as they were to hellhounds, Billie still had a soft spot for the animals she had worked alongside with for so long. She was essentially locking them up and even if the food would eventually run out, she figured leaving something for them would be easier on her conscience. She shut the door behind her, returned downstairs, and walked past the dining room, giving Olimpia the A-OK to pick up where she left off. However, Olimpia wasn't as confident as she was the day she staunchly agreed to do it. Leticia followed Billie into the room and tried to look at Olimpia in the face—the girl who was possibly the most confident had broken just by the mere thought of confronting a monster,

"Come on, girl. You can't get cold feet on us now," Leticia practically begged.

For the first time, the firm older woman began to show some hint of emotion. She understood how hard it was but this was the closest they were ever gonna get to leave. Nora heard the clamor from afar, as well as her sister. Nora got herself involved, thinking whether or not she had the courage to do what Olimpia couldn't. Quinn stood at a safe distance, oblivious yet interested in whatever the hell was occurring. Around this time some of the rooms were dimly lit by candlelight.

Emberly stood near the kitchen and listened to most of what transpired down by the dining room. It may have been a horrific moment but this was her golden ticket. She walked back into the kitchen and opened the oven, removing the saucer with a vanilla cupcake she specifically picked out. She walked out the back path in the house kitchen and walked towards the back staircases that led upstairs. She walked through the infamous corridor of family pictures, nearly feeling like she was walking through a photo exhibition. As she inched closer to his bedroom, she took a deep breath and stood very still hoping to miraculously calm her anxiety. Her legs shook as well as her hands and with a couple of deep breaths, she calmed herself. Before barging into his bedroom, she wisely knocked first,

"Who is it?" He groaned.

"Emberly," she failed at sounding cheerful.

Through a long moment of silence, she began to grow impatient hoping she wouldn't get caught, by the others, in the act of doing something that was unplanned. She tapped her foot around repeatedly before placing her ear to the door and just as her face nearly touched the door, it swung open. She retained her position, hoping to not give him any signs that she was planning to eavesdrop. He stared right into her hands, seeing cupcake with a vast amount of thick frosting,

"What's that?" he questioned.

"A vanilla cupcake with strawberry frosting…" she said through her soft yet raspy voice.

"Did everyone else get one?" He waited for Emberly to confirm and took the plate. He eyed it down, inspecting every detail of it, "You take the first bite."

Quite taken aback, Emberly didn't hesitate to pick a piece off from the sides and toss it into her mouth—no questions asked. Julien figured he might have just been paranoid. Ever since the predicament earlier today in the garden, he felt like he had allowed himself to be taken to the same place he was when he allowed his dogs to tear McKayla apart. He may have felt a little screwed up putting an eleven-year-old to such a test, but if she truly planned on poisoning him, it would serve her right. He couldn't let her age blind him like it was already beginning to. He forcibly chuckled, hoping to end the initial hostility that only he felt. Lifting the cupcake to his lips he dug his teeth into them and loudly chewed away at it. He moaned in pleasure recognizing Quinn's baking from anywhere. By the third bite, he was finished,

"Wow," he cleared his throat, "Is there any more of that…?"

"Yes," she fixed her eyes on him, having her breathing pick up. She took the plate from him, "There's eight more in the oven."

By the request of it, Emberly went to fetch him another by taking the other route. In the amount of time it took for Emberly to do that, the women were still failing at achieving some sort of pep talk with Olimpia. When she walked into the kitchen she nearly froze after seeing Quinn, eating another cupcake for herself. Also froze and laughed from embarrassment after seeing the young girl staring at her,

"I was in the mood for another one," she placed her fingertips to her lips.

"That's okay," Emberly answered before walking towards the oven.

"Is that going to be your third?" Quinn looked on impressed.

Emberly gulped and hoped it was better off telling Quinn the truth,

"It's for Julien."

"Oh," she answered unenthusiastically, "Okay."

Emberly felt a hint of jealousy from her. Hoping to change that, she added one final statement before grabbing the cupcake,

"He really likes your baking."

Emberly took the initial path back upstairs and approached Julien's door. He was to the far right of the room, sitting on his massive bed. With his back facing the door, Emberly made obvious signs that she was entering to avoid any sort of scare that could wound up getting herself in trouble. Meanwhile, she approached his bed and noticed a major difference in his physical state—He was fidgety and the hairs on the edge of his hairline clung to his moistened forehead. Although it was impossible to ignore, she eagerly handed him the plate, clearly fearing the outcome,

"...Is everything okay?" Emberly's bottom lip began to tremble.

He coughed and gave a feeble affirmation that he was wholesome—clearly in total denial of his carelessness. Strongly believing that there was no way he could've been gravely affected by something, he took one glance at Emberly. Seeing that she was still standing upright after taking a bite out of the same cupcake led him to be mulish. Maybe it had something to do with his wounds? _Maybe they're infected_ , he wondered. He took a bite from his second cupcake and instantly spat it back into his plate after having difficulty swallowing it. This time, it felt like he was swallowing a thorned object and he had the uttermost difficulty breathing. He began wheezing incredibly hard and dropped the saucer. Emberly took a step back and watched him struggle to reach for his crutch that leaned against the wall. He hadn't felt this way in decades, which explained why he was so lost as to what was abruptly happening to him.

"Epipen! Epipen!" he struggled to repeat between each breath. He struck and clawed at his throat, hoping to loosen or release whatever was constricting his windpipe, "Ba-Bathroom!" he sounded horrifically hoarse,

"Emberly!" A voice cried out behind her. Emberly screamed in fright and turned to Olimpia, who ran close behind her and was stunned to discover Julien squirm across the floor to get his crutch, "What the hell…!"

"Let's go! Let's go!" Emberly rushed, pushing Olimpia out of the door.

Emberly dashed through the hallways with Olimpia closely following her.

All of the women waited in the living room with their outerwear ready,

"What's all the screaming about, is everything okay?" Leticia noticed them rushing down the stairs.

Olimpia was the first to reach the bottom,

"Now's our chance, we have to leave!"

"What the hell is going on!?" Nora began panicking.

Olimpia tried catching her breath.

"Emberly; She was upstairs with him and when I walked into his room, he was on the floor," Olimpia grabbed her maroon-colored sweatshirt from the coat hanger by the entrance and quickly threw it in on inside-out, "It looked like he couldn't breathe."

Billie looked over at Emberly, who couldn't look at any of them too long,

"Sweetie. Sweetie, what did you do?"

"I…" Emberly started off, looking at each of their inquisitive faces, "I put nuts in the cupcakes…" Emberly struggled to answer.

"Holy shit…" Billie gasped, covering her mouth in astonishment.

Just by Billie's reaction, it was telling to everyone else that Emberly had accomplished something approximate to a breakthrough. Billie was the only one who knew that he was allergic to peanuts—until now. Quinn, apart from everyone else, decided to fly through the group and slap Emberly in the face. She screeched and clawed at the young child and pulled at her hair before the others could separate them from one another. Olimpia and Leticia fended her off and stood between them while Nora and Billie held the deranged sister back. She felt used but it was something that had to be done. Suddenly the shattering of a vase or lamp could be heard coming from upstairs and it instantly reminded them that they all had to leave. Emberly was the only person missing something to keep themselves warm so they ran back to their room and grabbed a gray hoodie that used to belong to McKayla. It was somewhat large but it would do the job at keeping her warm. The plan was to escape through a broken window but after some thinking, it would be easier and safer to escape through the side door that Emberly came through when she first entered the home. It was unintended but it was poetic justice to all of them. Unfortunately, there was something they were so accustomed to that it slipped all of their minds: The locks. Like a majority of the entrances and exits, the door needed a key to get past and without one, they were as good as dead.

"SHIT!" Nora squealed, "What are we gonna do now?"

"Look for something to hit it with, I don't know!" Leticia said, looking around the room.

"Quinn," Emberly called out. Being a mousy child had its perks because it people forgot that she was around or that she would never speak. It may have been partially true at first, but it was something she definitely utilized for the first time ever. She recalled the moment Quinn used the keys to step inside the dining and music room. Quinn, accompanied by her sister, gave Emberly glares that scared her into looking the other way—if looks could kill. But it didn't stop her from confessing, "I saw her put in the numbers when we were getting the bodies."

Quinn began roaring and prepped up for another assault on the young child, however, Leticia stepped in, having dealt enough with Quinn's behavior,

"You lay a hand on that child again and I'll whoop your ass so bad you'll be feeling it morning," but it was completely coming from a maternal and disciplinary place, "Now get us outta here!"

Quinn didn't answer. Instead, she stood in the same place, infuriated and unable to take her eyes off of Emberly. Nora felt a nudge of encouragement from one of the women and stepped into her sister's gaze. She held her face and looked into her eyes,

"Quinn, look at me! Look at me!" she began sobbing, "Quinn, please! Do you know the numbers? We have to get out of here. If we don't leave now, he'll kill us. If you cared about us, any of us, you would put in those numbers so we can leave!" she watched as tears rolled down Quinn's flushed cheeks, "I know you know there's something not right about him, Quinn. You care about us more than you care about him, don't you?" Quinn's face began to cringe with the overwhelming amount of emotion. Feeling as if she was getting through to her, Nora kept lecturing, "I thought you loved me."

Quinn began nodding and rested her forehead against her sisters,

"I do!"

"Then help us, Quinn," Leticia choked up from the sidelines, "Please, baby girl..."

Without much effort after that, it was a success. Quinn put in the numbers but at a rate that felt like she were moments away from stalling. Fortunately, the first door was opened and once the second and final door, that led to the outside, was unlocked, they all began sprinting to the back of the home. Nora made sure to never let go of her sister's hand and they never looked back. They all beamed around the side of the house, running past the limousine and another car they wished they considered stealing for themselves. Billie, knowing the hedge maze like the back of her hand, easily led the women through. The gate that waited for them on the other side was nowhere in comparison to the chained up entrance; they could easily climb over this one. The older women, with some assistance from the others, were the first to be hauled over, whereas the younger ones went after. Just as Nora was making it over, a gunshot zipped right past her, allowing her to lose her grip and fall over onto the other side. She grunted, falling on her side. At this point, the rest of them were either hidden behind trees or shielded behind the massive stone wall that encompassed most of Julien's property.

Miraculously, Julien was shooting into the darkness from one of his upstairs windows. He fired countless bullets, hitting the stone walls and trees, all in an attempt to kill anyone of those wenches. It didn't matter who.

After seeing her sister fall to the ground, Quinn stood with her hands high in the air, hoping to deescalate the situation between them all. She had worked her way up to be Julien's most prized, so he would show her some mercy because she meant much to him—so she thought. She danced around, begging for Julien to cease. In the blink of an eye, a bullet hit her square in the shoulder.

"Quinn!" all of their voices scattered, Nora's being the loudest.

Quinn went back into hiding behind the hedges. She removed her hand from her shoulder and felt incredibly defeated to admit that it took getting shot to finally see what everyone was afraid of. And if it wasn't because of the shoulder wound, it was the bullets he countlessly fired afterward.

"IM GONNA KILL YOU ALL!" Julien hoarsely roared his loudest, from his window, like a madman.

He vanishing into the darkness of his house. Nora hid on the other side of the stone wall and continuously called her sister's name in hopes of snapping her out of the shock. Seeing that Julien was gone, the other four were well and ready to leave Quinn behind if it meant her foolishness was going to get in the way of their liberation. But Nora and her sister had an unbreakable bond that Nora was willing to risk her life over. Nora stretched her arms through the gate and, just as she hoped, it grabbed Quinn's attention. With only one unharmed shoulder, Quinn had a lot of trouble climbing to the other side. Thankfully, everyone else ran back to help, finding it nearly impossible to leave as they threatened. In the midst of their escape, the barks and snarls of three dogs were heard coming closer to them. Again, not only did Julien prove to Quinn that he wasn't afraid of sicking his dogs on her, but the dogs she thought that would be so familiar of her leaped up and grabbed one of her feet. Quinn shrieked and cried while the women overpower Flash and successfully pulled her to the other side. She now only had one shoe but was shaken back to reality. What mattered now more than anything was to safely escape with her sister.

What started off as an endless run became an exhausting and neverending trek. It had been countless hours. All six of them were hiking through the woodlands that expanded beyond Julien's home,

"Keep your eyes open, ladies." Leticia took the lead, keeping her flashlight forward, "We can't afford to be caught by any of those damned things out here."

"You ever kill one of 'em?" Billie asked, handling her own flashlight on the right and rear sides.

"I tried. It was before I knew that you had to hit them in the sweet spot," he patted her head.

"I need to take a break…" Quinn groaned, desperately leaning onto her sister for support, "I'm losing too much blood."

Suddenly, they heard some barks in the distance,

"Shit! That sounded like Flash!" Billie began panicking, "What the hell are we going to do?! If he finds us he'll kill us!"

"Just...just calm down!" Olimpia tried keeping on a brave face, "If he catches us we can take him."

"He's a six-foot man with guns and three big ass dogs," Leticia said realistically. She searched around frantically with her flashlight, "You're with two old ladies, a girl with a bullet in her arm, and an eleven-year-old."

"Twelve-year-old," Emberly corrected.

She clung onto Olimpia's arm the entire way there and even though she didn't have her own flashlight, her paranoia definitely served as her personal guide. Just as Billie had pointed out, the barks were definitely getting closer and Billie found something that was better than nothing. She shined her flashlight over in its direction and unveiled an old red station wagon jammed into a tree trunk. Quickly, everyone made their way over to it. By the grace of God, the passenger's door was still unlocked and Leticia was able to prompt all of the other doors to unlock by the push of a button. There was room for all of them, however, someone had to claim back trunk. Billie climbed into the driver's seat and Olimpia and Emberly climbed into the back,

"Quick open the trunk!" Nora rushed, carefully helping Quinn climb in with the rest.

She slammed the door shut and instantly faced the darkness behind her. Without a flashlight of her own, Nora couldn't see anything but instantly felt a brute jump on her. She fell over and grunted as the dog attempted to bite her. Opportunely, her hand felt around and grabbed a nearby rock, and struck the Flash in a spot sensitive enough to cause it to yelp and retreat, but only for the time being. It vanished into the tall weeds that were on the verge of dying due to the change in weather.

"The trunk, Billie!" Quinn shrieked, thinking about her sister's wellbeing, "GET THE TRUNK!"

After Billie found the proper button, the trunk took its time to open. Unfortunately, it was too late—at least in the eyes of Nora. When she managed to get as much as a foot in, Flash came sprinting back with some company: Cerberus. She knew there was no way someone her size could fight off two massive dogs and whenever she tried to kick them away before crawling inside and closing herself inside, they still managed to get their fangs around her foot again. They were relentless. She was able to touch her friends over the backseat and held on to her sisters' hands for dear life before expressing her love to her one last time. She kissed her sister's hand and allowed the dogs to painfully yank her out of the trunk. Quinn screamed and nearly climbed over the backseat, hoping to get to her sister before the dogs could. Nora's was dragged out into the dirt and seeing that it came easier to do from the outside, she slammed the trunk shut to prevent either of the dogs going in after them once they were finished with her.

She was smacking the rear of the car, emitted ear-splitting screams mix with sheer cruelty. Quinn would've done everything she could to jump out of the car, but it meant endangering everyone else's life, including her own. Her scream-filled cries eerily matched up with her sister's as Nora could be heard being torn alive. Emberly covered her ears and kept her eyes shut, wanting to hear nothing of it.

A few minutes later, everything went silent and Quinn was the only who was drained from her robust weeps.

"Keep your flashlights off…" Billie said through sniffles. They knew the sight of the aftermath would be something truly upsetting. And for the sake of Quinn, everyone else, and Nora, they sat in the darkness until the canines would grow forgetful of their whereabouts and disappear.

* * *

Quinn cried all the way into the next morning and found it nearly impossible to fall asleep as everyone else struggled to do. Everyone was clearly traumatized but managed to squeeze in around two or three hours of rest—Emberly managed to get in a little more seeing that sleep came the hardest to her. Billie opened up her eyes and shuffled them around, eventually taking a double-take into the rearview mirror. Quinn clearly hadn't blinked an eye and looked completely petrified—like she had seen a ghost,

"Quinn...?"

The older sister was startled but lacked much of a reaction. It was so difficult for her to speak and as soon as she opened her mouth, the tiniest movement forced her to shut it back. Olimpia yawned and cracked open her eyelids. As soon as she lifted her head from leaning back, she instantly felt a sense of gloom after noticing her surroundings,

"Where...where is she?" Olimpia searched all around.

The movement of her body caused Emberly to wake up next and lift her head from her shoulder. Since nearly everyone was awake, Billie figured she might as well reach over and wake Leticia because they were technically still in hiding,

"She's...she's behind the car," Quinn trembled.

Billie took a look through her side mirror and could see both tips of dog ears peeking out just from behind the left back tire. Everyone in the vehicle hushed and listened closely to the one thing anyone had to anticipate that followed one's death. They could hear the intense gnawing of teeth, the tearing of bodily organs, and soft squelchy sounds that matched playing in thick mud. Ignoring everyone's warns and oppositions, Leticia was the first to sneak out of the car and creep towards the back of the car. Everyone's eyes followed her in suspense until she fully made it to the rear and nearly fainted. She gasped and dramatically threw herself onto the closest tree. A look of frightfulness was slapped on her face and she quickly ran back into the passenger's side, crying hysterically once she shut the door. She covered her face and rested her head on the dashboard. At this point, everyone knew what the possibilities were. The best Billie could do was try to calm her closest comrade.

Suddenly Nora threw herself against the windows. As expected, but entirely against, she was reanimated and had blood coated around her lips. She had also eaten a good amount of Flash's corpse, so her stomach was filled beyond its limits. Emberly shut her eyes and began screaming, unintentionally giving the rest of the car a reason to join the breakdown.

Eventually, everyone calmed through their irregular show of pain. Nora's sights were dead set on Leticia since she was the last living thing she saw. At this point, Leticia could do nothing but stare back,

"Can you stop looking at her like that…?" Quinn begged, having a puffy red nose.

Distracted, Leticia turned away briefly,

"I'm sorry, It's just..." she paused, "...you can tell it isn't them. Like, you look at her and...it's not Nora."

"Of course it isn't!" Quinn clarified.

"I don't want to be locked in here anymore," Olimpia added, "Julien's going to track us down."

"We can't leave with her out there like that," Billie advised.

"One of us will have to keep her distracted and then we can make a run for it. Right now her sights are set on me—"

"No, it won't work," Emberly commented, "Trust me."

"Then what do you suggest we do, little girl?" Leticia inquired in a state of vexation.

Quinn sat quietly in the backseat as the rest of them brainstormed on figuring out how to safely flee, but it meant leaving Nora as one of _them_. Suddenly, she voiced that there was no way they could be willing to leave her sister like that and she wasn't going to allow. However, everyone had a common weakness—they couldn't kill a reanimated if it meant annihilating someone they had personally grown to love. To imagine that it made things easier for Quinn was just as absurd. It was her sister for christ sakes.

Unanimously, it was preferred that Quinn be the one to put her own sister down. Admittedly she felt like they were being selfish or that they were playing the 'sibling responsibility' card. However, the longer she thought on it, she realized it wasn't fair of her to even imply that one of them take on such a burden. Although she was indifferent about it, it took a lot in her to agree to do it, but under one condition: If they helped hold Nora down. Since Nora was family to them all just as she was to Quinn, they accepted.

They searched around the car anything they could use, but there was nothing useful.

"What about that…?" Billie pointed out the window, suggesting a large rock they could use as a blunt force object.

"It's something...but it's gonna be messy," Leticia looked into the backseat and narrowed her eyes at Quinn, "What do you say?"

Quinn looked over and zoned in on the very rock that Billie pointed out. It was rigid and something that had to be held in both hands. A knife or a gun would've been the ideal way to go, but if it meant not having to see her sister's current face in her dreams and have guilt eat her alive, what choice did she have? She looked back at Leticia and nodded while tears streamed out her wearied eyes.

* * *

A car in the forest meant that there was a road nearby and, without much searching, they all managed to stumble upon the cold and dry pavement. It was a bittersweet feeling, having found a sense of freedom. Now all that was left was to follow the road and hope that it led them to some sort of civilization since they were in the middle of butt-fudge nowhere. Most importantly, they wanted to find their families—one by one. They reached a T-crossroad that finally provided them with more answers than they started off with. There were signs on the highway, having one stick out most to Emberly: It read "West. Montreal". Emberly paused in her tracks and looked down the lane opposite the path the women ended up choosing. Questioning why, she explained herself to them, mentioning that Montreal was one of the first cities she stepped into and that she knew a place where her friends just might be. They all looked at her, completely worried about this hunch she was going by. They've underestimated her before, but was it wrong for them to do it again?

"You can't do that alone…" Billie said.

"I know but…maybe…my family?"

Leticia took a few steps in her direction,

"Baby, you have us now. J-just come with us instead. We can always go back to Montreal."

"I can't," Emberly's voice cracked and shook, "I can't. I'll always remember the things you did for me, but I need to do this."

The ordeals she faced changed Emberly into the young formidable child she was and just by the look on her face, they could tell there was no changing her mind. She ran into each of their arms one last time, saving Quinn for last,

"I'm sorry I hit you," Quinn mustered up through whimpers.

She reached forward and embraced her one last time—for Nora. Fixing her pink glasses on her face, she began to walk away and although their time together was over, she was still under their supervision as they watched her rush away. Suddenly, she heard someone call out to her one last time. She turned and saw Olimpia giving a tearful goodbye to the rest of the ladies before running off. She had no family left, so going to search for them would be endless. If anything, she had already found one and she felt most connected to Emberly. They were similar in some ways and Olimpia saw herself in Emberly from when she was around her age.

Ever since she stepped foot in that house, she wanted nothing more than to protect her. All she could hope for was the Emberly felt the same way. The further they walked, they all turned one final time and waved farewells to their sisters with hopes to see them once again in this hell called Earth.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello everyone, I hope you enjoyed the season 2 finale. I really want to thank a lot of you who have been following my story. The comments, favorites, and follows are really the only thing pushing me to continue this fic. I'd like to hear a lot of your thoughts though on what you did/didn't expect.** **Also, just to confirm, I certainly have season 3 planned out and it'll be published sometime in mid/late 2019. We'll really be exposed to the apocalypse at its prime, so I'm pretty excited about that.**

 **I won't be uploading any new chapters but I'll be updating Season 1 and 2 to thread bump every now and then.**


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